


The Miles Between Us

by emeraldsandivy



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - No Powers, F/F, dating app au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-11
Updated: 2019-02-01
Packaged: 2019-02-13 10:24:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 37,868
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12982032
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emeraldsandivy/pseuds/emeraldsandivy
Summary: When Lena meets Kara on a dating app, she can’t believe both her good fortune and bad luck at finally meeting someone who sees beyond her last name, but who also lives clear across the country. Can they somehow overcome the miles in between?ORThe dating app AU where Jess is fed up, Kara is an adorable cinnamon roll, and Lena needs a hug.





	1. A Leap of Faith

**Author's Note:**

> So, I was originally working on a different Supercorp AU, but this idea would not leave my brain until I started writing it, so here we are. This is actually my first Supercorp story, so I hope it's alright, since this is my first time really playing around with these characters. 
> 
> Jess may seem a bit OOC, but we all know that she would do anything for Lena, so I'm giving her a bit of boldness here and there when it comes to their relationship.
> 
> Anywho, I hope you enjoy this little story!

This was all Jess’ fault, this entire ridiculous situation. In all honesty, Lena couldn’t really be angry with the other woman. She meant well, and Lena knew the assistant had her best interests at heart. But still. As Lena stared down at her phone screen through narrowed eyes, she thought back to the conversation with Jess just a few hours ago in her office.

 

* * *

 

_“Jess, can you come in here for a minute, please.” Lena called to her assistant through the intercom, her tone even._

_Seconds later, the large glass doors to Lena’s office opened and Jess walked in, notepad in hand._

_“What can I do for you, Miss Luthor?” she asked, pencil poised for Lena’s instructions._

_Lena scrutinized her for just a moment, before turning her laptop around so that Jess could see the screen._

_“Perhaps you can tell me why I have a confirmation email from a dating application called Hearts & Minds, since I checked the IP address and it traced back to your computer.”_

_Jess at least had the presence of mind to look a bit ashamed of herself. Of course, it was more out of realization that she should have known Lena would figure her plan out fairly easily. Looking back up, the CEO didn’t appear angry, just a bit exasperated, clearly waiting for an answer._

_“Miss Luthor, I can explain,” Jess began quietly, hands moving down to grip the notepad in front of her._

_Lena didn’t say anything, just motioned for Jess to take a seat in one of the chairs in front of her desk. The assistant cleared her throat and moved to sit down, her hands nervously twisting the spiral binding of her notebook._

_“Jess,” Lena said gently, getting the other woman’s attention. “I’m not upset with you, I’d just like to know what this is all about.”_

_Jess took a deep breath. “I’m just worried bout you, Miss Luthor.”_

_It was not the answer Lena had been expecting. She leaned forward, elbows on her desk, and tilted her head slightly in confusion._

_“I’m sorry, but I don’t understand.”_

_“Miss Luthor, it’s just that—“ Jess began, before Lena held up a hand to stop her._

_“Lena, please, Jess,” Lena said, kindly. “If we’re going to speak frankly, we should be on even footing.”_

_“L-Lena,” Jess corrected herself, somewhat awkwardly. “It’s just that you hardly ever leave the office. You’re here when I arrive and when I leave. I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if you slept on the couch most nights.”  
_

_Lena felt a slight blush creeping up her neck at the comment, not wanting to admit that she sometimes did end up falling asleep while looking over reports. She’d learned after the first few times that it was wise to keep some outfits and other necessities on hand in her adjoining bathroom, just in case. However, she didn’t want to let Jess know that. The girl already fretted over her enough as it was, though Lena found her concern quite sweet._

_“I worry about you cooping yourself up in here at days on end,” Jess continued. “In the three years I’ve worked for you, I’ve only seen anything resembling a social life a handful of times. I thought maybe if you got a little push, you might try to get out more, enjoy yourself, make some friends.”_

_Lena smile slightly. “So you signed me up for a dating app?”_

_Now it was Jess’ turn to blush. “It’s…more of a social app. It matches people based on the information it’s given, like interests and dislikes, and let’s you select from a list of the results.”_

_Lena stared at Jess, and amused smirk on her face._

_“Okay, yes, it’s technically a dating app,” Jess conceded. “But, in my defense, I know you haven’t been out with anyone, friend or otherwise, in over a year, because I set all of your appointments.”_

_Despite herself, Lena laughed, knowing that she was right. Jess smiled nervously.  
_

_“I care about you,” Jess continued. “I know your job isn’t easy, but you should also make time for yourself. CEO’s get to have some fun, too.”_

_Lena smile softened, seeing the earnestness in Jess’ face. It was true that she often neglected her own needs for the company. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d taken a day off, or attended a social function that wasn’t related to work. She looked down at her desk, and considered the idea. Like Jess said, it could just be for fun. She didn’t have to start anything serious, and she had to admit that she did need to loosen up a little. Sighing in defeat, Lena looked back up at Jess._

_“Okay,” she nodded. “Maybe you’re right.”_

_Jess’ face lit up in a mixture of delight and disbelief. Lena grinned at her reaction._

_“However,” Lena said, her voice sounding stern, though the smile remained on her face. “Next time, I’d like to be notified when you decide to intercede into my social life. Or lack thereof, as you’ve pointed out.”_

_Jess laughed and nodded, moving to the other side of Lena’s desk as the CEO beckoned her over to help her figure out how set up her profile on the new app._

_“Of course, Miss Luthor.”_

 

* * *

 

So, now, Lena was sitting at her desk, glass of scotch beside her, as the sunset threw hues of orange and pink across the office. It was the end of the day, most everyone on their way out of the building, though Lena could still hear the rapid clicking of Jess’ keyboard just outside her doors. She gazed down at the newly downloaded app on her phone, the screen filled with picture after picture of her matched results.

Truth be told, Lena had not considered what to do once she’d gotten this far. As confident as she was in her job, and just about every other aspect of her life, she was hopeless when it came to dating. She just wasn’t good at opening up to others, a trait that she blamed on her mother.

Adopted by the Luthors at age four, Lena grew up having everything she could have ever wanted, but it couldn’t make up for the lack of warmth she experienced from her new family. Lionel had been kind enough, and did seem to care for her, but he was never good at being a parental figure. Though he tried, the only way he knew to show affection was through his money. Lena appreciated the sentiment behind his gestures, but all the best educational opportunities in the world could not supplant her want for a personal connection. He died when she was a teenager, leaving Lillian to care for her and Lex. 

Lillian was far colder than Lionel had ever been, in spite of all his faults. She expected perfection from her children, leaving no room for kind words or warm touches, only criticism and callousness. Nothing was good enough for her, no matter the lengths her children worked to please her.

Lex had been her favorite, she’d made no secret of that. And while her brother had been the only one to ever truly treat Lena like family, their close relationship as children could not save him from a downward spiral of madness that would be his undoing. Lena blamed Lillian for that, as well. She blamed the constant pressure and unreachable expectations that drove Lex to a padded cell at Metropolis Correctional.

Lillian, in the wake of her son’s disgrace, had completely disappeared, leaving Lena to pick up the pieces. She’d worked tirelessly over the last three years to rebuild her company, rebranding it as L Corp, and her reputation. Luthor was, once again, a name to be respected in the business world, though it remained tainted by her family’s legacy, making any kind of relationship difficult. For Lena, it was just easier to be alone.

So what in the world was she doing? How had she let Jess convince her to even download this stupid app, let alone set up a profile? She continued to scroll, the many faces of different men and women beginning to blur together as Lena continued to marvel at the ridiculousness of the entire situation. Even if someone did initially express interest in her profile, she was still Lena Luthor, and that was enough to scare anyone with a shred of common sense running in the other direction. Yes, she definitely blamed her assistant for this whole mess.

As if summoned by her thoughts, Jess knocked lightly on Lena’s office door before poking her head in.

“Just wanted to let you know that I’m headed home for the day, Miss Luthor,” she announced.

Lena nodded without looking up at her phone. “That’s fine, Jess, go home and enjoy your evening.”

Feeling mischievous, a smile spread across Jess’ face. “Anyone good pop up?”

Lena merely looked up at her, giving Jess the famous cock of her eyebrow. Jess simply laughed, waving as she turned to leave.

“Give it a chance,” she called back as the door was closing. “It never hurts to try.”

Lena just shook her head good-naturedly. She knew Jess cared and that she was only trying to help her expand beyond her boundaries a bit. She made a mental note to bring her coffee and a scone in the morning, just so Jess would know that she appreciated her concern.

Not long after Jess had left, Lena slipped her phone into her purse and headed downstairs, where her driver was waiting for her. She didn’t normally leave so early, but it had been a long week, and she could think of nothing she’d rather do than curl up on her couch with a glass of wine and a good book for the rest of the evening. She thought no more of the Hearts & Minds app, hardly even looking at her phone the rest of the night, as she allowed herself to just relax for the first time in weeks. Maybe Jess was right, maybe she did need to get out a bit more.

The evening passed uneventfully, Lena putting her book down long enough to pull some leftover takeout from the fridge and polish it off. It was nearing midnight when she decided she had better get some sleep. She had an early meeting in the morning, and it wouldn’t do for her to arrive exhausted with bags beneath her eyes.

She picked up her phone and plugged it in to charge on her nightstand. After washing her face and slipping into a pair of cotton shorts and a tank top, Lena slid beneath the bedcovers, stretching out on her stomach. Before long she was asleep, the room silent. It wasn’t until nearly two in the morning that the darkness was broken by Lena’s phone suddenly lighting up with a gentle buzz against the wooden nightstand. Lena slept on, undisturbed by a single notification flashing across the screen.

_Hearts & Minds: LittleDanvers has nudged you._


	2. This Is All Uncharted

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for the warm response that this story has gotten, so far! My plan is to update weekly, so I can give myself some breathing room to stay ahead of it, which is a problem I've had in the past. Anyway, here's chapter two! We'll be getting Kara's perspective eventually, as well, but I wanted to focus on Lena to start off with, so bear with me. And if anyone has a better screen name for her than CaffeineQueen, please feel free to suggest it, because I could just not come up with anything that sounded clever enough.
> 
> Also, I'm listening to A LOT of Sara Bareilles as I write this, so that's likely where the chapter titles are going to come from. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

Lena was late.

Cursing her decision to hit the snooze button _just one more time_ , she rushed between the bedroom and her en suite, finishing her hair and makeup at a record speed, and searched in vain for her missing heel. She finally located it beneath the dresser, apparently landing there when she had kicked her shoes off the previous evening. She grabbed her phone off the nightstand and slipped it the pocket of her blazer without looking at it. Grabbing her coat and purse, she rushed down to the ground floor of her building, sliding into the backseat of the car that was waiting for her.

It wasn’t until her car slipped into traffic that she finally looked at her phone for the first time that morning. Finding a couple of emails, confirming the location of the investors meeting in Conference Room C that morning and the HR report for the week, she dismissed them quickly before reading the third notification on her lock screen, nearly dropping her phone in the process. Regaining her composure, Lena read the message. Then she read it again, and a third time after that, not sure she was seeing it correctly.

_Hearts & Minds: LittleDanvers has nudged you._

Lena blinked, trying to figure out not only what the message meant, but also what to do about it. Before she could get much further, however, the car stopped in front of L Corp, her driver quickly making his way around to open her door. Lena slipped her phone back into her pocket, mind shifting to the meeting that she had fifteen minutes to review for, and resolved to worry about the notification later. If anything, she and Jess might have to have another conversation about just what the hell she’d gotten Lena into.

The meeting passed without a hitch, the investors pleased with the new detection software that was being developed to scan human embryos for different signatures in DNA for treatable diseases. Once completed, the technology could revolutionize neo-natal care and work to completely eradicate a large number of preventable diseases. Entering her office, Lena sat down at her desk, smiling at the fresh cup of coffee that Jess must have made for her sitting by a stack of files. She pulled out her laptop and was just about to go over some the codes for the detection software, when she spotted her phone lying at the corner of her desk, the notification from earlier in the morning coming back to her.

Lena leaned back in her chair, taking a large gulp of her coffee while she stared at her phone. Weighing her options, she finally gave a large sigh and reached forward to pick it up from her desk. Staring at the notification, she reached over to the intercom and pressed the call button.

“Jess, can you come here for a minute, please.” Lena pinched the bridge of her nose. There was a good chance she was going to end up regretting this. 

Jess appeared a moment later, notepad in hand. “Yes, Miss Luthor?”

Lena exhaled softly and then looked up at Jess, suddenly feeling a bit awkward. “I, uh, I need your help with something,” she admitted, gesturing for the assistant to have a seat in front of her desk.

Once Jess had sat down, Lena opened the Hearts & Mind app, tapping the notifications button. She held the phone out so that Jess could read the lone message.

“Can you tell me what this means?”

Jess squinted at the screen in concentration, a habit that, while Lena found endearing, also caused her to comment on more than one occasion that Jess might want to get her eyesight checked out. An impish smile spread across her assistants face, and Lena waited patiently for her to explain just what a “nudge” was, exactly.

“It means they’re interested,” Jess replied, smile growing wider.

Lena pulled the phone back and glanced down at the screen again. “Okay, but what does it mean they nudged me?”

“It’s kind of like an invitation,” Jess explained, hands gesturing in excitement. “It’s how you let someone know that you’re interested in getting to know them, but it also gives you an out. If you don’t want to get to know the other person, you just ignore it. If you do, though, you nudge them back and it lets you start messaging with each other.

Lena had to admit, the setup was nice. At the very least, it had to help cut down on the number of unwanted dick pics. She nodded, looking up at Jess.

“And how would I know if I’m interested?” she asked.

“Oh, you can just go to their profile and browse their info,” Jess instructed. “It will even tell you where they’re from, so if you’re not into the long-distance thing, you don’t have to bother.”

Lena had to admit, it wasn’t a bad system, eliminating quite a bit of the uncertainty that she imagined came with online dating. Still a bit wary, but also conscious of Jess watching closely to see what she would do, Lena clicked on the username and was directed to the profile for LittleDanvers.

The first thing she noticed was the bluest eyes she had ever seen looking at her from behind a pair of glasses. The other woman was stunning, possessing a youthful glow in her bright smile and sunny appearance. Even her hair seemed to be spun from gold. It took Lena a moment to look away from the picture and read over the rest of the profile.

Whoever LittleDanvers was, she seemed almost too good to be true. They had the same interests in just about everything; they both shared an affinity for 90’s pop music, loved to read (fantasy and sci-fi, of course), preferred Star Wars to Star Trek, and loved art (she painted, Lena played piano). With every new thing she learned, Lena marveled at their similarities, thinking that there was no way this girl could possibly be real. She started to think that maybe Jess’ little scheme hadn’t been the worst idea after all, when she looked at the location. Her heart sank.

_National City, California._

Jess noticed the look of disappointment settle over Lena’s features. “What’s wrong?” she asked, leaning forward.

Lena held the phone out again for Jess to see. “Look at the location,” Lena said. “National City. That’s clear across the country.”

Jess pondered this for a minute. It wasn’t ideal, but she has seen what had appeared to be hope in Lena’s eyes as she was reading through the profile. It had been so long since Jess had seen anything close to that in her, and she’d be damned if she allowed it to slip away already.

“Okay, so it’s not the best case scenario,” Jess rationalized. “But she did nudge you first, so it’s clearly not something that bothers her. Besides, even if it doesn’t turn out to be anything romantic, making new friends never hurts.”

“Does it really count if we’ve never met, though,” Lena questioned, looking skeptical.

Jess huffed a laugh. “Of course it does,” she argued. “It’d be like having a pen pal.”

She watched as Lena continued to look apprehensive, biting her lip in thought. After several minutes, Lena shook her head.

“I don’t know…” she began, uncertainty in her voice.

“Miss Luthor,” Jess interrupted in a firm voice. “You need this. You need something or someone completely separate from the bubble you’re living in. You can’t live and breathe L Corp all the time. Just…give it a chance. Please?”

Lena could see the pleading in Jess’ eyes, knowing it clearly meant a lot to her for Lena find something that wasn’t entirely wrapped up in her work life. She looked back down at the screen, at the impossibly blue eyes that smiled up at her. _She’s right,_ Lena thought. _LittleDanvers did reach out to me first. That must mean something, right? Oh, the hell with it, Jess has a point; what could it hurt?_

Looking back up at Jess, who was still looking at her earnestly, Lena exhaled slowly and nodded.

“Okay,” she conceded. “Maybe you’re right. Now, show me how I nudge her back.”

Jess gave a little squeal, jumping from her seat to direct Lena through the different options on her screen.

 

* * *

 

Almost 3,000 miles away, early-morning sunlight was filtering through the windows of a large studio apartment in the heart of National City. Kara Danvers had just finished her cinnamon bagel and coffee, grabbing her keys to leave for work, when she heard her phone ding in the front pocket of her purse. Stepping into the hallway, she locked the door behind her and dug her cell out of the bag, exchanging it for her keys. She stopped for a second to check the notification, assuming it was a text from Alex. Instead, her face lit up in surprised delight when she read the words on the screen.

_Hearts & Minds: CaffeineQueen has returned your nudge. Would you like to send them a message?_


	3. Just Give Me Some Good Back

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took me a little longer to get this chapter up this week. Between Christmas and Yule, I haven't had a lot of time in between the holidays for much else.  
> Thank you so much for all of the comments, kudos, bookmarks, etc. you guys have sent my way, it means a lot to know you're enjoying this story! Hope you like this latest chapter!

The workday seemed to be dragging longer than normal. Lena tried to keep herself distracted, between reviewing blueprints and codes to looking over the quarterly reports for the company, but with the lack of any other meetings that day, she found herself constantly checking her phone or lost in her thoughts. As the day continued to loiter, she found her productiveness slipping away bit by bit.

By six o’clock, she had abandoned all hope of getting any more work finished. Everyone else, except, of course, for Jess, had long gone home, and she had been staring out over the cityscape for the past twenty minutes. Swirling her glass of scotch absentmindedly, Lena was about to check her phone for what felt like the thousandth time that day when a knock at her door brought her back to earth.

“Yes?” she called, turning her chair back around and straightening her posture.

The door opened and Jess stepped slightly into the room, purse slung across her shoulder. “I’m leaving for the day, Miss Luthor.”

Lena smiled, nodding her head. “That’s fine, Jess, have a good evening.”

Jess hesitated, lingering in the doorway with a look of uncertainty on her face.

“Did you need anything else, Jess?” Lena asked.

Jess blushed, ducking her head slightly. “I was just, uh, wondering if you had, um, heard…anything,” she stammered, still not looking at up at her boss.

Lena chuckled, placing her glass down on her desk. “No, not yet,” she answered. “Though I think you might be more nervous than I am.”

Jess relaxed and shrugged awkwardly. “You just deserve to have something good happen for you, is all.”

Lena’s eyes softened. “Thank you, Jess. Now go home, you’ve already earned your paycheck for the day, don’t let me keep you.”

“Alright,” Jess nodded. “Good night Miss Luthor and…good luck.” And then she was gone.

Lena exhaled heavily, standing from her chair and picking her glass of scotch back up. She kicked her heels off, relishing in the feeling of her toes sinking into the plush carpet, and walked over to the balcony door. Stepping out into the sunset, Lena looked out over Metropolis, a slight breeze ruffling the wisps of hair that had come loose from her ponytail. She loved the quiet that standing so high above the city afforded her. It had the ability to make her forget just how lonely her life had become since her brother’s downfall.

She watched the sun slipping beneath the skyline, taking the occasional sip of her scotch. Her mind drifted back to her phone, wondering, not for the first time, if she was being completely foolish. Even if LittleDanvers did decide to send her a message, what exactly was she hoping to get out of this? Lena was awful at relationships, at most human interaction in general, that didn’t involve some kind of contract. Even if she managed to not make a complete fool of herself, to somehow make a connection with this woman, what was the feasibility of a long-distance…anything?

 _Luthor, you’re a such an idiot_ , she chastised, the phrase sounding like a broken record playing through her thoughts at this point. If, by some miracle, everything did manage to fall into place, there was still one final obstacle that may prove insurmountable: her last name.

Lena wasn’t obtuse. She’d watched it happen as soon as her family’s reputation came crashing down from its pedestal. Everyone she’d ever believed or considered to be a friend gradually slipped away, not wanting to be tainted by the Luthor name. She had become a poison, a deadly disease that all seemed determined to quarantine themselves against. It had hurt; it would be useless to pretend that it didn’t, but it was also provoking. It ignited a fire within her that would be the drive and determination for her to rise above her family’s sins. Yet, no matter how high she climbed, the Luthor name still hung around her neck like an albatross. It was a burden that nobody wanted to share, and, honestly, she couldn’t blame them.

So what would LittleDanvers do when she finally realized who CaffeineQueen was?

Lena scoffed softly and downed the remainder of her drink. She knew the likely answer to that question. It was nearly dark, the remaining strains of sunlight reaching out across the waters of the West River. Turning away from the city, Lena stepped back into her office, placing her empty glass on the small bar beside the door. Gathering up her things for the evening, she slipped back into her heels and picked up her phone, checking her lock screen for notifications. Nothing.

Ignoring the pang in her stomach, Lena shook her head in derision and slipped her phone into her coat pocket. Grabbing her briefcase from her desk, she strode from the office and down to the car that was waiting for her outside the building.

 

* * *

 

The steam billowed from beneath the gap under the door and fogged up the mirrors, sitting heavy in her chest, as Lena switched off the water and pulled a towel from the rack on the wall. Her hair stuck to her skin, tendrils of water dripping down her back and racing toward the tiled floor. She swiped her hand across the clouded glass, leaving a smear of condensation across her reflection. Lena studied herself for a moment, taking in her natural appearance, free of the makeup and composure of the day. Some days, amidst all of the business meetings and conference calls, she forgot how young she was, still just shy of twenty-five. And yet, in moments like this, she would be reminded and astounded that her life had turned out so improbably.

Shaking her head, Lena wrapped her hair in the towel and pulled on her robe. She opened the bathroom door, the mixture of steam and cool air raising goosebumps on her skin. She padded quickly to the bedroom, slipping on a pair of sweatpants to chase away the chill. She unwrapped her hair, rubbing the towel through the damp strands to catch the stray water before it ran down her neck. She was just pulling an oversized Star Wars sweatshirt over her head when she heard it, the faint sound ringing through the apartment. Pausing, sure that she imagined it, Lena waited. Sure enough, two minutes later, she heard it again, coming from the living room.

Forgoing any sense of dignity, she all but ran to the front room, picking up her phone from where she’d left it on the coffee table when she’d arrived back home. She grinned like a fool at the alert on her screen.

_Hearts & Minds: LittleDanvers has sent you a message._

Lena scurried over to her couch and curled into the side, tucking her feet beneath her. She took a deep breath and opened the app, clicking on the message icon that now had a green notification dot in the corner of it. She took a breath and began to read.

 ** _LittleDanvers:_**  
**_Hi there! I’m so sorry that I didn’t send you a message sooner, it’s been a rough day at work. My boss has been on me to meet a deadline on an article that I’m writing, and I’ve had to redo it three times already! Anyway, I’m really glad that you nudged me back! I know we are really far away from each other, but I couldn’t not take a shot on someone so gorgeous. I mean, those eyes…WOW! And she likes Star Wars, too? Definitely someone I’d like to get to know! I hope to hear from you, have a great night!_**

Lena read the message a few times, smiling at the compliments. She clicked back over to the girl’s profile, losing herself again in the blue eyes and wide smile. She was beautiful and clearly had a bright personality, judging by the message. Normally, Lena would be a bit turned off by the enthusiasm, but LittleDanvers somehow managed to make it endearing. Swiping back over to the message, she stared at it for a few more seconds, before taking a calming breath and hitting the reply button.

 ** _CaffeineQueen:_**  
**_Hello,_**  
**Thank you for the compliments, I don’t think I’ve ever received such a warm welcome before! I’ll admit, the distance did seem off-putting at first, but I just couldn’t ignore that smile. Besides, a friend kindly reminded me that I didn’t have much to lose.**  
  
Lena cringed, slightly, hoping that didn’t come off as an insult. She tried to amend the comment.

**_No offense to you, of course! I just mean I’m not great at getting to know people, so I probably shouldn’t ignore a pretty girl when she says hello._ **

She sat for a second and reread the message. Hopefully it didn’t come across as too formal. She wasn’t sure what else to say, until she remembered the girl said something about writing an article.

**_Anyway, you mentioned something about an article. Are you a writer? Do you work for a newspaper or some other publication?_ **

She paused, trying to think of something a bit more personal to ask. Her face lit up when an idea struck her.

**_You also said that you like Star Wars, too? Which one is your favorite? Enjoy your evening, I look forward to hearing from you again soon._ **

Lena reread through her message a few times, checking for any mistakes. Once she was satisfied, her thumb hovered over the send button for a few moments before she exhaled and hit the screen. There, it was done and now she would just have to wait for the reply. Glancing down at her phone again, Lena noticed that it was nearly eleven. Hardly tired, she pulled her laptop from her bag and looked over some of the notes for her meeting with the Queen Industries rep tomorrow over their joint venture into some new interactive holographic technology.

She glanced at her phone now and then, hoping LittleDanvers might send her a reply, but the screen remained blank. Around one o’clock, she decided to call it an evening, conceding that she was unlikely to hear back from the girl tonight. She slipped her laptop back into its bag and shuffled her way down the hall and into the bedroom. Sitting down on the mattress, Lena read through the message one more time, the corners of her lips lifting slightly. Setting her phone down on the nightstand, she pulled her feet up and slipped under the covers, closing her eyes with the feeling of something close to hope nestling into her chest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you've all had a wonderful holiday season and have a great new year!


	4. I'll Let You Hear Me As I Am

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! So, we are finally going to start seeing things from Kara's perspective in this chapter, in addition to Lena's, plus Alex makes an appearance. Once again, thank you for all of your lovely comments, you're all so wonderful! And I would like to say that I am not against suggestions, if there is something you might like to see in future chapters. I can't promise anything, but I'm more than willing to consider ideas, if I think they will fit into the narrative.
> 
> Hope you enjoy, and lots of love!

Kara groaned softly and rolled over, landing in a patch of sunlight shining through sheer curtains over her window. Squinting slightly, she cracked her eyes open with a yawn and stretched the stiffness from her body. Turning her head, she looked at her alarm, eyes widening in panic when she realized how late it was. She was due to meet Alex for coffee at 9:30 and it was already ten after. She jumped from the bed, dashing around her room at top speed to locate a clean set of clothes. After pulling on a pair of skinny jeans and a striped blouse, Kara scrubbed her teeth and pulled her hair back into its signature ponytail. With a final check in the mirror, she perched her glasses on her nose, grabbed her purse, and hurried from the apartment with only five minutes to get down to Noonan’s.

As expected, Alex was already waiting for her when Kara practically skidded to a halt at their table and plopped down in her seat, ten minutes late.

Without looking up from her phone, Alex raised an eyebrow.

“You’re late,” she deadpanned, though a smirk was playing on her lips.

“I know, I’m sorry,” Kara huffed. “I swear I set my alarm, but I must not have heard it go off.”

Alex set her phone down and gave Kara a look, which caused her sister to cave only seconds later.

“Or maybe I hit the snooze button a couple of times,” Kara admitted, ducking her head.

“There you go,” Alex nodded, as a waiter came by their table with two lattes and a sticky bun for each of them. “Luckily, I know what to order for you.”

Kara smiled gratefully, enthusiastically stabbing at her sticky bun with a fork. “You’re the best sister ever.”

“Duh,” Alex scoffed playfully. “Anyway, how’s work? Snapper still an ass?”

They chatted for a while, enjoying their sugary pastries and catching up on their busy lives that had seemed to be in the way of them spending time together lately. Alex was just recounting a drug heist that she’d missed out on when Kara’s phone buzzed in her purse. Pulling it out, nodding to show her sister that she was still listening, she saw it was just an email reminder about the staff meeting on Monday. As she swiped it off her screen, her gaze moved down, her eyes lighting up when she saw the notification below it, hours old from the previous night.

_Hearts & Minds: CaffeineQueen has sent you a message_

Swiping the app open, Kara continued to nod, though, admittedly, she was taking in very little of what Alex was saying. As she skimmed through the message, she felt her smile grow wider, until a light rap on the table jerked her attention back to her sister, who was now looking between Kara and her phone.

“What are you smiling at?” Alex asked, suspiciously.

“What? Oh, um, nothing,” Kara stammered, adjusting her glasses.

Alex’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Uh huh.”

“What?”

Alex rolled her eyes. “You haven’t been listening to me for the past few minutes, and nothing doesn’t make you light up like a Christmas tree.” Kara ducked her head, her cheeks tinged pink. “So what is it?”

Kara sighed in defeat, looking up at her sister. “Just promise not to judge me?”

Alex almost laughed. “Kara, I’m the last person who should be judging anyone. I haven’t exactly had the best track record lately.”

Kara smiled, thinking over the last five months and the whole Sarah debacle. Still licking her wounds from Maggie, Alex had become attached to the first woman that she had drunkenly fallen into bed with. Three months, an FBI infiltration plot, and a charged and detained Sarah later, Alex was now on desk duty for the foreseeable future for her carelessness. Though not remotely funny at the time, Alex had used her signature self-deprecating humor to move past the disaster, able to laugh at her sheer idiocy in hindsight.

“Well, when you put it that way,” Kara admitted with a teasing grin.

“Easy,” Alex warned, her eyebrow lifting dangerously. “They do still let me carry a taser gun.”

Kara finally laughed at that, her head falling back as her shoulders shook with the sound. When she’d caught her breath she looked back at her sister, who was watching her expectantly.

“Okay, fine,” Kara conceded, throwing her hands up. “I set up a dating app profile.”

Alex choked on the sip of coffee she had taken, thumping her chest as the coughs shook her body, the air returning to her lungs after a few moments.

“You did what now?” Alex croaked, still catching her breath.

“You said no judging!” Kara pointed her finger at her sister.

Alex held her hands up in surrender. Pausing for a moment to take another, more careful, sip of her coffee and clear her throat.

“Okay, okay,” she soothed, her voice mostly back to normal. “I’m sorry, I was just surprised. Why would you join a dating app?”

Kara took a deep breath, thinking over the last few months, when she hadn’t been busy trying to be supportive of Alex. “I don’t know, I’ve just been in a slump since James. I thought it wouldn’t hurt to put myself out there, I guess.”

Alex’s expression softened as she watched her sister. She knew Kara struggled with opening up to others, _really_ opening up. Sure, she was a constant ray of sunshine and made friends easily, but it took a lot for her to let someone else see who she was behind the bubbly exterior. It had taken over a year for her to fully trust Alex after she’d been adopted, and even then it could still be a struggle to get her to talk about how she was truly feeling sometimes; about the loss of her parents, how a drunk driver had completely turned her world upside down at just twelve years old.

James had been a rare exception. Being a friend of her cousin, Clark, Kara had felt more at ease with him than any other friends that Alex had watched come along. She’d always figured it was because of his connection to the only family Kara had left that made her trust him so quickly. She’d never seen her sister so smitten before. And Alex liked James, she really did, but after a botched attempt at furthering their relationship, things had become slightly awkward between him and Kara. They were determined to remain friends, but it would probably take some time before things got back to normal, and, ever since, Kara had seemed…off. The fact that Kara was even making any kind of effort to improve her romantic life spoke volumes to Alex.

“That’s great, Kara,” Alex said softly reaching forward to lightly squeeze her sister’s knee. “So, any luck? Who’s got you smiling that?”

Kara looked apprehensive. “Just…don’t freak out, okay?”

“Okay…” Alex drew out, suddenly very uneasy.

Kara sighed and took a deep breath, squeezing her eyes shut. “Her name is Lena.”

Alex nodded, waiting for the other shoe to drop.

“Luthor,” Kara finished, eye still closed.

Alex felt the color drain from her face. She remained silent, processing what Kara had just told her, until her sister cautiously cracked her eyes open.

“Lena Luthor?” Alex questioned, hoping she had heard wrong. “As in, sister of Lex Luthor, the psycho who orchestrated the plan to try and blow up the Metropolis subway system, Lena Luthor?”

Kara shrunk down into her seat. “…Possibly.”

“Kara,” Alex began in a tone that Kara new was leading to a long lecture. She decided to head it off as best she could.

“No, Alex, listen,” Kara interrupted. “I know what you’re thinking, but hear me out. I didn’t even realize who she was until after I’d already reached out to her. I read an article about some business deal between L Corp and Queen Industries, and it featured a picture of Lena Luthor. I knew she looked familiar in her profile picture, but I didn’t piece it together until I read the article.”

Kara pulled her phone out and pulled Lena’s profile up on the app. “Here, just look at her profile.” Alex reluctantly took the phone. “She’s nothing you would expect; she loves the Backstreet Boys and Star Wars and Game of Thrones. She plays the piano and spends her spare time watching Netflix. Her favorite hobbies are baking and doing puzzles. She’s not some evil genius, she’s just a woman who got stuck with a crappy family. It’s not her fault. Plus, she’s really pretty.”

Alex actually laughed out loud at the last comment, continuing to scan through Lena Luthor’s profile. She had to admit that she didn’t see anything overly suspicious, but that hardly meant anything. You could put anything in a public profile. Still, Kara did have a point. Why would someone like Lena Luthor even sign up for a dating app? There wasn’t much logic behind the action for someone who was related to a criminal like Lex Luthor. And she had to admit that Lena had made a tremendous effort to distance herself from her brother, even rebranding his (now her) company and pushing it in a new, less sinister direction. Considering all of this, Alex glanced at the location.

_Metropolis, New York_

_Well, at least she’s clear across the country,_ Alex thought as she handed Kara her phone back, her sister looking at her with the signature puppy dog eyes. She sighed heavily.

“It’s your life, Kara,” she said wearily. “I can’t tell you what to do, but at least be careful, okay?”

Kara smiled, the giant megawatt smile that never failed to make Alex grin right back.

“So what did she have to say that had you so disgustingly happy?” Alex teased, picking her coffee back up.

Kara blushed and pulled the message up on her app, sliding the phone over for Alex to read. Once she’d finished, she handed it back to Kara with a smirk.

“Amazing,” she said. “You may have found the one person who’s as socially awkward as you.”

“Wow, rude,” Kara replied with a laugh. “I think it’s sweet that she’s not as perfect and polished as everyone thinks."

“Yeah, you would,” Alex teased. “Are you going to respond?”

Kara shook her head, putting slipping her phone into her purse. “Not yet, I’ll wait until after coffee. She is three hours ahead of us, so no rush, right?”

“True,” Alex nodded, tilting her cup back to catch the last dregs of her coffee. She checked her watch and stood from the table, stretching slightly. “Well, I need to head into the office for a little while. I’ve got tons of paperwork to push from the last week.”

Kara rose to her feet and pulled her sister into a tight hug. “Thanks for being okay with this.”

Alex gave her a squeeze before pulling back. “Just be careful, we’ve already got one idiot in the family fooled by a pretty girl, we don’t need another.” Kara laughed and shook her head.

“And keep me updated,” Alex called over her shoulder, “I need to know if badass Lena Luthor has a soft spot for Ewoks.”

 

* * *

 

Lena had been back in her office after the conference call with Queen Industries for twenty minutes when her phone lit up next to her glass of mineral water. Glancing down at it, her fingers stalled on her laptop when she saw what it was.

_Hearts & Minds: LittleDanvers has sent you a message_

Lena grinned, not even trying to hide her happiness at seeing the notification pop up. With no one else around, and no Jess to tease her, she decided to allow herself the giddy feeling that settled in her chest. Picking up her water, Lena grabbed her phone and spun her chair to face the window, enjoying the view of the mid-afternoon skyline. Taking a sip of her drink, she opened the message and began to read.

**_LittleDanvers:  
Good morning! Sorry I didn’t respond last night, I knew it must have been late there and I didn’t want to keep you awake. And no offense taken! I’m glad you were willing to give this a try. My sister thinks I’m a little crazy for joining a dating app. Anyway, I’ve been kind of in a slump myself lately, so we can help each other out! And thanks for the compliment! ;)_ **

Lena chuckled, glad that her social ineptitude hadn’t put the girl off. In fact, it had only seemed to encourage her. She made note of the comment about a sister, wondering if she was younger or older than LittleDanvers, though she would guess younger, based on the username. She would have to ask when she responded, though Lena wasn’t sure how she would answer the inevitable questions of whether or not she herself had siblings. Shrugging, she decided that she’d worry about it when the time came.

**_Anyway, yes, I am a writer. A reporter, more specifically. I work at CatCo here in National City. I’m still kind of new to it, and I’m pretty sure my boss doesn’t like me that much, but I’m having a lot of fun learning as I go!_ **

Lena had heard of CatCo, but wasn’t entirely familiar with it’s work, since it was mostly a West Coast publication. She’d have to remember to find a copy or look it up online to see what kinds of stories they published. All she knew of it was that it was owned by Cat Grant, and, if that was anything to go by, she was sure the magazine itself nothing less than impeccable.

**_I absolutely LOVE Star Wars! I made my sister watch the originals all the time when we were younger! She said that she hated it, but I think she actually enjoyed it since she had a huge crush on Princess Leia. Anyway, I know everyone always says that Empire Strikes Back is their favorite, but I really like Return of the Jedi. I think the Ewoks are cute! Even if everyone else hates them._ **

Of course this human ray of sunshine would find those furry little monsters cute. Lena shook her head, though she couldn’t quite disagree with her. However, that didn’t negate the fact that Episode V was, by far, the superior film and she would make sure to say as much. Smiling like a fool, she read the rest of the message.

**_What about you?? Which one is your favorite? What’s your favorite color? Do you prefer summer or winter? I’m sorry, I’m just really excited to get to know you, I hope I’m not creeping you out. Anyway, I’ll let you go, I’m sure you have busy CEO stuff to do. Can’t wait to hear from you!_ **

Lena froze at the last few lines. She had never told LittleDanvers her real name or what her job was, which meant only one thing: she knew who Lena was. The realization settled heavily in Lena’s stomach. Her first instinct was to run. To erase every single trace of herself from this app and forget this entire stupid idea. However, just as she was clicking through her settings, searching for the option to delete her account, a sudden thought stopped her.

She knew. This girl knew who Lena was and, presumably, who her brother was, and, yet, she had still reached out to her. Pausing to consider that for a moment, Lena weighed the options. It would be so easy to continue what she was doing and forget that LittleDanvers ever existed. On the other hand, she could still hear Jess’ voice in her head, telling her that she needed to try, to give it a chance. As much as she hated to admit it, Jess’ voice was right. Lena didn’t make friends easily. Hell, she didn’t really make friends at all, but here was someone who genuinely wanted to know her, despite her last name, despite what her family had done. And, against all her impulses, she wanted to get to know this girl, too.

But this needed to be confronted, before any of this continues. She needed to be sure. Taking a deep breath, Lena typed out a simple reply.

**_You know who I am?_ **

She hit the sent button and exhaled heavily. There was nothing left for her to do but wait for a response, knowing she would get very little work done in the meantime.


	5. Like A Bomb In A Birdcage

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooo, this one took me a hot second, sorry about that. School started back up and the weather has thrown things a little out of wack, plus my birthday was last week, so it's been a little busy around here. I hope this chapter was worth the wait, especially since it got away from me and turned out almost twice as long as most of the others. XD
> 
> As always, thanks for all the kudos, comments, etc., they always make my day! Cheers!

Kara had screwed up.

Which wasn’t exactly a new development, but this went beyond her usual wheelhouse. Being late to coffee, forgetting a deadline; those were things she could handle without blinking. This was different. This was something that not even her puppy pout could save her from. This time, all she could do was stare down at her phone, head in her hands, as she read the same five words over an over again.

**_You know who I am?_ **

Groaning in frustration, Kara let her head slip down and rest against the surface of the kitchen island. Things had been going so well, Kara thought she was really starting to connect with the other woman, so it was only expected that she would manage to find a way to stick her foot in her mouth. Make that both feet.

When she’d first seen the message that morning, Kara hadn’t been sure what had prompted the reply, why Lena would suddenly assume that Kara had figured out who she was (of course she had, but that was neither here nor there). Puzzled, Kara had looked back through her previous messages, finding nothing incriminating until she reached her most recent response. It was small, an off-hand comment that seemed so innocent that Kara had not thought twice about it: she had mentioned Lena’s CEO status.

 _Danvers, you complete idiot_ , Kara thought for the millionth time that day, as she tried to figure out the best possible explanation. She didn’t want to upset Lena or scare her off, not as they seemed to be clicking together so well. She’d just wanted to give the other woman her space, leaving it up for Lena to decide when she was ready. And now Kara was afraid that her stupid mouth had ruined everything.

She’d been mulling over her options all day, her mind unable to focus on her work, much to Snapper’s irritation. Letting out a heavy sigh, she picked her phone up, deciding that the best thing she could do now was be completely honest. If there was any hope of salvaging whatever this was becoming, it wouldn’t be by trying to wiggle her way out of the situation. She let her fingers begin to move rapidly across her keyboard, not allowing herself to overthink her response, the truth pouring out in a long, rambling reply.

**_LittleDanvers:  
I do, I’m so sorry. I recognized your picture after I nudged you. I knew you looked familiar, but I didn’t actually hit me until I saw an online article about some joint venture between L Corp and Queen Industries. Please don’t be mad, I didn’t say anything, because I didn’t want to put any pressure on you. I figured you would tell me when you were ready, because I know it can’t be easy with people knowing who your brother is and that can cause a lot of distrust in others, so I knew you would tell me when you were comfortable. I wasn’t thinking when I sent that message, it just slipped out and I didn’t mean to and I’m so so sorry. I understand if you’re upset with me for not saying something sooner, but I really hope you’re not…and I’m rambling, so I’ll shut up now. I’m sorry._ **

She knew it wasn’t the most cohesive explanation, but, in her frenzied state, it would have to do. Kara pushed send before she could reconsider her words and set her phone back down on the island. She did not resume her seat on the barstool, but, instead, began to pace around the apartment, imagining all of the ways that Lena could possibly respond.

She could be upset, of course, and that was the most likely scenario. Kara had, if not outright lied to her, withheld the truth. While well intentioned, she was sure that Lena would still be hurt that she hadn’t been completely honest with her. Kara only hoped that she would see that she was trying to give Lena time; to let her decide when disclose her real name.

She was just imagining the fourth scenario, in which Lena completely disappeared, erasing every trace that the two of them had ever interacted, when her phone dinged on the island. Stopping in her tracks, Kara felt her stomach churn as she stepped back over to the counter and picked her phone up, swiping open the message. Her head tilted, her face scrunching up into what Alex liked to call her “confused puppy” expression.

**_CaffeineQueen:  
Wait..so, you’ve known who I am almost this whole time, but you still decided to talk to me?_ **

It was probably the last thing Kara was expecting. Scratch that, it WAS the last thing Kara was expecting. She assumed Lena would upset, angry even, at the dishonesty and possibly never want to speak with her again, but, instead, she only seemed confused; as if she was trying to solve a puzzle in which the pieces didn’t quite fit together.

For her part, Kara was just as confused, not sure why Lena was more focused upon the fact that Kara knew who she was than that she hadn’t been honest with her. Fingertips hovering over her phone screen, she wasn’t sure how to respond. She had been preparing for anger, not for this, and it left Kara on uneven footing. Her mind felt cluttered and fuzzy, too caught off guard to form a proper answer. At a loss for anything charming or witty, she kept the next message simple, hoping Lena would explain how she was feeling.

**_LittleDanvers:  
Of course…is that okay?_ **

She stayed at the island, fingers drumming out a gentle rhythm as she waited for a reply. It didn’t take long, and when she swiped open the message, it’s brevity surprised her. Two words stared back at her, a simple question that carried all the weight of the world in its meaning.

**_CaffeineQueen:  
But why?_ **

And, in that moment, Kara’s heart broke just a little, because she finally understood. It wasn’t that Kara knew who Lena was. It was that Kara knew and it didn’t matter. She never thought, never took a moment to consider, who Lena Luthor really was beyond the woman she’d been talking to over the past several days. She’d been too excited about this woman, with her bright green eyes and endearing shyness, that the fact that she was talking to _the_ Lena Luthor had never really sunk in.

Kara thought back, remembering the news headlines about her brother; the once suave businessman, driven to madness by the government’s rejection of a database that LuthorCorp had developed to register and keep tabs on foreign citizens. Despite spewing his vitriol on any news program that would have him, Lex Luthor was regarded as nothing more than a privileged, extremist bigot by all but his small group of loyal followers. Kara still remembered the videos played over the news cycle; smartphone footage of a bomb going off at the busiest entrance of the Metropolis subway system, over a hundred dead and dozens injured, people panicking as other platforms were evacuated.

It hadn’t taken long for the Daily Planet to dig up evidence against Metropolis’ most controversial figure.

Kara remembered the trial. She remembered Lex’s face twisted in anger as he was convicted and hauled away to a maximum security prison, shouting something about being a true patriot. She remembered his mother, her chin high and face defiant as she left the courthouse after her son. And, in the recesses of her mind, she remembered his sister, Lena, who refused pictures and interviews from all sides. Kara remembered as she distanced herself from her brother’s crimes, breaking her silence only to condemn him through a press release that announced her take over and rebranding of the family’s company. Finally, Kara remembered the slander of the press, maligning the Luthors and anyone who did business with them, effectively condemning the entire family as guilty in the court of public opinion.

Kara realized how lonely it must have been, to lose nothing and everything at once; to have the world at your fingertips with no one left to share it with; to become a pariah for sins that were not your own. Kara figured that the only people that still wanted anything to do with Lena were only after what her money could provide. When was the last time someone had genuinely given a damn about the woman herself? It made Kara’s stomach clench, to think that Lena somehow believed that no one could possibly see past her last name, that she deserved to forever be associated with what her brother had done. Especially when she seemed to be doing everything she could to run as far and as fast as possible in the opposite direction.

Kara sighed, her eyes refocusing on the two words across her phone screen: _But why?_

Because Lena deserved to have her own life, and she deserved to be more than just “Lex Luthor’s sister.” And Kara resolved in that moment to make damn sure that sje got it, if Lena would let her. With renewed confidence, Kara finally typed out her reply.

**_LittleDanvers:  
Lena, you are not your brother, and you shouldn’t be judged because of what he has done. You are your own person who deserves to have an identity outside of your family. And that person is someone that I would really like to get to know better, because she seems pretty great. If you’d still like to? Please?_ **

Hoping she came across more genuine than desperate, Kara took a deep breath and hit the send button. With nothing more that she could do, she sat back on the sofa and waited nervously for the response.

 

* * *

 

Lena Luthor didn’t cry. It was something that had been drilled into her as a child. Luthor’s did not cry, because Luthor’s never showed any signs of weakness. The last time she remembered it happening, she was eight. Lex had been pushing her on the swing in the back yard when he dared her to jump off. The scrape on her knee hadn’t stung nearly as much as Lillian’s coldness, telling her to “quit that ridiculous howling, Luthors are better than that.” So, she’d learned and she’d built up her walls, determined to win her mother’s approval that would never come. And when her entire family was gone, leaving her to repair her life and reputation, she still wouldn’t allow herself the luxury of weakness.

So, it came as a surprise when Lena felt the tears begin to slip silently down her cheeks, but she didn’t try to stop them. Instead, she read the reply from LittleDanvers over and over until her vision was so blurred that her phone screen was a mess of colors running together. She had become so used to people regarding her with coldness and disdain that she’d forgotten what it felt like to receive genuine compassion from someone. Kara wanted to know her, not because of her money or the status that her name still carried, but because she thought Lena was worth knowing.

If Lena was honest with herself, the idea scared her; opening up to someone and letting them see who she really was behind the CEO façade. However, this girl was clearly not just “someone,” but exactly who she was, Lena still wasn’t sure, and she desperately wanted to know. Tucking herself deeper into the couch, she tapped out a reply with shaking hands.

**_CaffeineQueen:  
I would really like that, too._ **

It took less than three minutes for a response to light up her phone.

**_LittleDanvers:  
Really? I mean, great! Thank you so much, I was so worried that I was going to scare you away or something. _ **

Lena snorted, as if anyone could possibly be scared of this ray of sunshine personified. She suddenly felt a surge of relief that she had not gone through with deleting her account. There was something about this girl that made her feel a kind of warmth that she couldn’t quite place, but she knew she wanted more of it.

**_Listen, I hope this isn’t too soon or too forward, and as much as I love messaging with you, would you consider trading phone numbers? I just think it would make communicating a little easier, not to mention faster. It’s okay if you aren’t ready, or you need to think about it, but, just in case, here’s mine, and you can let me know whenever._ **

**_(619) 555-1731_ **

Lena stared down at the number, thrown off-balance by the suggestion, though it wasn’t entirely unwelcomed. And she was right, the constant back and forth with messages was getting a little tiresome. It felt very formal, almost as if they were sending pen pal emails. Still, Lena felt a slight uneasiness in giving out her personal phone number, though it stood to reason that LittleDanvers did provide hers first. Plus, if this was all some elaborate prank, it wasn’t like she couldn’t just change her number.

Staring down at the message, Lena could still hear Jess’ voice in her ear. _Just…give it a chance. Please?_

Lena sighed. _Damn you, Jess,_ she thought, typing in the number and starting a new text message. This was either going to be a really great or a really stupid idea, but she’d be lying to herself if she said she didn’t feel a small thrill run through her body as she pressed the send button before she could talk herself out of it.

 **_(212) 555-2390:_ ** _Hello, this is Lena. Do I have the right number?_

She waited. It took almost a minute, but, finally, the ellipses popped up on her screen followed by a new message that quickly dissolved into easy conversation.

 **_(619) 555-1731:_ ** _Lena! Hey! That was way faster than I was expecting, but I’m so glad that you decided to text me! I just figured that this would be a better way to get to know each other, instead of going back and forth through messages._ **_  
_ **

**_Lena:_ ** _Well, hello to you, too. No, you’re right this is better, though I am a little nervous. I’ve never really done this kind of thing before._

 **_(619) 555-1731:_ ** _Don’t worry, neither have I, so we can help each other out, right?_

 **_Lena:_ ** _Sure, but if we are going to do that, I should probably know your real name. After all, you already know mine._

 ** _(619) 555-1731:_** _Oh! I’m sorry, you’re right, I wasn’t even thinking! It’s Kara, pronounced as car, not care, just in case you weren’t sure. Most people tend to get it wrong on the first try, since it’s not that common. Oh, my last name is Danvers, but you probably figured that part out. ;)_

 **_Lena:_ ** _I assumed, yes. And I like Kara, it’s different._

 **_Lena:_ ** _A good different, I mean._

 **_Kara:_ ** _Well, thanks! It just gets kind of annoying when no one can pronounce it right._

 **_Lena:_ ** _I can imagine. Luckily, I’ve never had that problem. Of course, now, my name gets all kinds of reactions._

 **_Kara:_ ** _Well, I like it, it’s pretty. It suits you._

Lena paused for a second, a light blush coloring her cheeks, not sure of how to respond to that. Thankfully, Kara didn’t leave her hanging for long.

 **_Kara:_ ** _I’m sorry, was that too forward?_

Lena smiled, her blush deepening. She wasn’t sure, out of all the other possible options, how she had managed to catch the attention of the one person who not only saw past all of her baggage, but was also just as dorky and awkward as she was. Not to mention she had all the enthusiasm of a golden retriever. Lena would have to remember to give Jess some extra time off as a thank you, and probably a raise.

 **_Lena:_ ** _No, it’s alright. And thank you…your name is pretty, too. ;)_

 **_Kara:_ ** _Awww, you’re just a regular charmer, aren’t you, Lena Luthor? Well, as much as I would love to keep talking, it’s late where you are, so I’m sure you want to get some sleep. Can I text you tomorrow? Would that be okay?_

Lena felt a warmth, the same warmth from earlier, spread through her chest at Kara’s request. To say she was surprised at the turn the evening had taken would be an understatement, but she also couldn’t find it in herself to be upset about it. Kara genuinely liked her and wanted to get to know her better. She felt tears prick the corners of her eyes again at the thought of being wanted as a person, instead of an investment or a business deal. She blinked them back before they could fall, looking back down at her phone. She _definitely_ needed to give Jess a raise.

 **_Lena:_ ** _I would really like that. Text me whenever you’re free, since I’m on the later schedule here._

 **_Kara:_ ** _Great! I’ll talk to you tomorrow then. Get some sleep, good night!!!_

Lena chuckled at the enthusiasm and sent back a quick _Good night_ , before checking the time. Kara was right, it was after eleven and Lena had two meetings before lunch the next morning. Letting out a large yawn, she unfolded herself from the couch and walked to the bedroom, setting her phone on the nightstand. After washing the makeup from her face and brushing her teeth, Lena emerged from the en suite and sat down on the edge of her bed. She scrolled back through their conversation, her grin growing wider with every message. Oh god, was she in trouble, wasn’t she?

Chuckling to herself, she plugged the phone into charge, thinking over how this had all happened when a sudden realization came to mind. She’d overlooked it in the panic of Kara’s slip and their latest step forward. She opened her texts and tapped out one last message for the evening before switching off the lamp and settling in beneath the covers.

 ** _Lena:_ ** _By the way, my favorite is Empire Strikes Back, I love green, and I prefer autumn over summer or winter._

Barely a minute later, her phone buzzed, Kara’s reply displaying short but sweet on the screen.

 **_Kara:_ ** _=)  
_

Lena smiled into her pillow and closed her eyes. Yes, she was definitely in trouble, but she couldn’t bring herself to mind.


	6. We're Not Broken, Just Bent

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all! Well, I told myself that I was going to try and bring my word count down a bit from the last chapter, so, naturally, it went up by about 1000 words. Clearly, I have no self-control, but that just means more story for you guys, so I can't really complain about it. Fair warning, there is some angst in this chapter, but it ends on a happy note, so no cliffhangers this time.
> 
> As always, thank you for all the comments, kudos, bookmarks, etc. They always make my day and give me a lot of motivation in my writing, so they are much appreciated!
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

Lena couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt this light-hearted, certainly not in the time since she’d taken over L Corp. She and Kara had been texting for the past two weeks, and had quickly fallen into a routine of sorts.

Since Lena was in a later time zone, Kara was always the first to text good morning, usually around 10:30 Lena’s time (7:30 for Kara), which was frequently accompanied by a copious amount of emojis. Lena would reply immediately and they would chat for as long as they could, until Lena was either pulled into a meeting or Kara was sent out on assignment. They picked back up during their downtime, usually Kara’s lunch break, unless Lena had a meeting scheduled for the afternoon. The time difference made it tricky, but they managed, always making sure to reconnect later in the day, with Kara checking that Lena wasn’t staying too late at the office and eating a proper meal.

They talked about almost everything, trading interests and fun facts about each other throughout the week and finding their similarities and differences. They both loved animals, though Kara was more a dog person and Lena firmly preferred cats; Kara had been a three sport athlete in high school, while Lena captained the science and math clubs; they both had an unhealthy obsession with books, Lena astounding Kara with her vast knowledge of Harry Potter and the Star Wars expanded universe.

They especially bonded over their adoptions and growing up knowing that you were different from the rest of your family, though Kara noted that she’d at least had the opportunity to know her parents growing up, whereas Lena’s mother had died when she was still very young. Still, it made each of them feel as though they could finally talk to someone who really understood what it was like to wonder what life would have been like if things had turned out differently. Kara talked about the Danvers, thankfully sparing Lena the obligation of discussing her own family. Maybe eventually, but Lena was fiercely protective of the details of her childhood with Lex, so it would take her some time to reopen those wounds.

Regardless, everything was going so well that Lena, in true Luthor fashion, kept wondering when the other shoe was going to drop; she kept waiting to find out something about Kara, or for Kara to find out something about her, that would completely sour everything. One evening during their first week of talking, she thought that moment had finally come when, during a delicate conversation about what had happened to her brother, Lena confided to Kara that the whole event had had a large effect on her psyche. Lena hated talking about it, bringing up the violence that her brother had committed and what it had done to her, but she also knew that Kara deserved to know what she was getting into early on.

 **_Lena:_ ** _I still have nightmares about it, now and then. Sometimes wake up screaming. It took months for me to feel safe just leaving my apartment. I was always worried someone would come after me, wanting revenge._

 **_Kara:_ ** _That’s awful, I’m so sorry. I can’t imagine what that must be like, having to carry everything he did on your shoulders. The nightmares must be awful. Can I ask how you manage them?_

 **_Lena:_ ** _I, um…I didn’t very well at the beginning. I tried to bury everything right after what happened. I worked a lot and didn’t sleep more than a few hours at a time. I was running myself into the wall, but I tried not to let anyone see it. Long story short, I ended up in a very dark place and started blaming myself for what Lex did. I kept telling myself I should have seen what he was becoming and stopped him._

 **_Kara:_ ** _I’m sorry you felt that way, but I get it. We want to see the best in everyone, so it’s hard to accept when they let us down, and we end up blaming ourselves. How did you get out of that place?_

 **_Kara:_ ** _If you want to share, I mean. You don’t have to._

Lena had hesitated, not sure how honest she wanted to be with Kara, but, at the same time, knew it was unfair to keep the whole picture from her. She braced herself, ready for the painful impact, and began typing.

 **_Lena_ ** _: I…uh…I tried to kill myself. Nobody ever found out, except for Jess and the doctors, of course. I was required to get a psych evaluation while I was recovering in the hospital and they ordered me to see a therapist after I was released. I’ve been seeing her ever since, working through everything, and taking medication to help keep me functioning._

 **_Kara:_ ** _Oh, wow, yeah, that’s a lot to carry on your own. At least you’re getting better, though, right? I mean, obviously, it’s not an overnight kind of thing, but every little bit counts, doesn’t it?_

 **_Lena:_ ** _Kara, I want to be honest with you; I still have plenty of bad days, ones where I do nothing but lie in bed all day, and still ones where I have to keep myself distracted from the downward spiral of my thoughts that would like to drag me back down to that darkness. It’s exhausting.  I can be hard to deal with, and I wouldn’t want you to feel obligated to that. I’d understand._

**_Kara: (…)_ **

**_Kara: (…)_ **

**_Kara: (…)_ **

Lena watched as the ellipses kept popping up and disappearing seconds later. Her heart thumped in her chest and her mind ran wild at the thought of whatever it was that Kara kept typing and then erasing. Maybe it had been a mistake, dropping this kind of thing on her so early into…whatever it was that they were. She wanted to be honest with Kara, but she also knew that she had grown far too attached to the girl to have something mess this up so soon. She was pulled from her thoughts when her phone vibrated in her hand, causing her stomach to churn.

 **_Kara:_ ** _Lena Luthor, you are not an obligation. I meant it when I said that you were pretty great and that I wanted to get to know you. That means all of you, not just the good parts. Bad days or no, you are worth it, and I wish you could see that. So, I’m here, whenever and for anything. Sorry to say, but you’re stuck with me ;)_

Lena had breathed such a sigh of relief that she could feel herself get slightly lightheaded from the sudden lack of oxygen. She stared out the window, smiling fondly at the memory, until she was jerked back to the present by a light knock on her door. She quickly straightened back up and glanced down at the files in front of her. At the very least, she could put on the appearance that she was getting some work done, instead of daydreaming at her desk.

“Come in,” Lena called, picking her pen up and making a few notes on one of the papers.

Jess appeared in the doorway with her purse over her shoulder and a tired smile. “I’m leaving for the day, Miss Luthor.”

“Well, I’d hope so, since I told you to head home over an hour ago,” Lena smirked, earning a sheepish look from Jess.

“You know what they say, no rest for the weary,” Jess shrugged good-naturedly.

Lena chuckled. “Yes, well, even so-“ she began.

Before she could finish, her phone dinged suddenly, signaling a new text message. No doubt it was Kara, probably checking to see if Lena had eaten dinner yet. Lena tried and failed to hide the smitten look that lit up her face at the sound. Clearing her throat, she looked back up to find Jess with what could only be described as a shit eating grin on her face.

“Something important?” the secretary asked with a knowing tone in her voice. Though Lena had been keeping her correspondence with Kara private, she had decided to confide in Jess. She was, after all, responsible for their meeting, so Lena figured she owed it to the woman to keep her updated.

Lena felt herself blush. “It’s Kara. Probably checking to make sure I’ve had something to eat.”

“That’s so sweet of her,” Jess said, her eyes sparkling and a hand pressed against her chest dramatically. “How lucky you are to have found someone who cares about you like that.”

Lena chuckled. “Smugness doesn’t suit you Jess, leave that to me,” she said with a wink.

Jess’ head fell back in laughter, raising her hands in a sign of compliance as she turned to leave the office. “Good night, Miss Luthor.”

“Good night. And Jess,” Lena called, just as her assistant had pulled the door open. Jess halted, turning back with a smile. “Thank you. Really.”

Jess’ smile grew wider, meeting Lena’s earnest eyes. “Anything for you, Miss Luthor,” she replied, exiting with a final wave goodbye.

Lena felt the corners of her own lips quirk upward as she watched Jess go. Once the door had closed behind her, Lena looked at the papers spread across her desk and checked her watch; it was nearly seven. She half-heartedly debated the importance of the files in front of her before deciding they could wait until the morning. She cleaned them up, tucking them back into their folder, and began to pack up her things to go home.

Ten minutes later, she slid into the back of her town car and pulled her phone out to text Kara that she was leaving work, knowing that the other woman would playfully scold her for staying too late. Sure enough, Kara responded minutes later with a disappointed looking emoji. Lena just laughed and started to type a reply, looking forward to relaxing for the rest of the evening while Kara tried to convince her for the umpteenth time that NSYNC was better than the Backstreet Boys. Lena wholeheartedly disagreed.

 

* * *

 

_Screams filled Lena’s ears and a cloud of dust hung in the air, obscuring her vision. She stumbled through the debris around her, tripping over busted stone and twisted metal. Bodies were strewn across the ground at her feet; men and women groaning for help that would not come, children with their glassy eyes open but not seeing, and blood. So much blood. The smell of burning flesh sat at the back of Lena’s throat, gagging her as she staggered blindly, looking for a way out. Before she could take another step, a rumbling shook the ground beneath her feet. With a series of sharp cracks, the ceiling above her split apart. She watched in horror as it collapsed, rushing toward her like a concrete avalanche before everything went black._

Lena jolted awake, a guttural scream tearing from her throat as her body lurched up into a sitting position. Her head whipped around, eyes darting wildly, as she realized that she was in bed at her penthouse apartment instead of buried beneath a mountain of rubble in the Metropolis subway system. She was shaking, a layer of sweat covered her body, her breathing came in gasps, and tears were carving tracks down her cheeks before dripping off her chin onto the bedspread. She tried to regain control of herself, balling her hands into fists and taking gulps of air, but she couldn’t get the dream out of her head; the screams, the bodies, all the destruction that her brother had caused.

Feeling herself begin to panic, Lena reacted without thought and grabbed her phone from the bedside table, dialing the first (the only) number that came to mind.

/////

Kara groaned, the sharp ringing of her phone filling the dark room and pulling her from sleep. She squinted at her alarm clock, the harsh red digits reading 1:09am.

“You have got to be kidding me,” she mumbled, wondering who on earth would be calling so late. For a moment, a chill settled in her chest as she thought of Alex, but it dissipated as soon as she realized that it was not her sister’s ringtone. Confused and still half-asleep, Kara picked up her phone and read the caller ID.

 _Lena_ _=)_

When she saw the name, the chill came back, because Kara knew that it was still far too early in Metropolis for Lena to be awake. Not to mention that they had yet to actually talk on the phone. Kara had thought about it, ever since Lena had told her about the nightmares and the bad days she still had, but she didn’t want to overstep. She figured Lena would let her know when she was ready, so their conversations for the last three weeks had been strictly kept to texting. Kara felt the chill spread, knowing that whatever reason that caused Lena’s first call to her to be in the early hours of the day couldn’t possibly be positive. With a nervous fluttering in her stomach, Kara swiped to answer before it could go to voicemail.

“Hello?” she answered, voice still scratchy with sleep.

At first, all Kara heard was heavy breathing, the ragged sound clearing up the remaining fog in her sleep-addled brain. Fully alert and concerned, she tried again.

“Lena? Lena, are you there?”

It took a few more seconds, Kara’s heart rate increasing as she grew more worried. Finally, a small, weak voice answered her.

“K-Kara?”

Kara let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding, feeling relief wash over her for just a moment before turning her attention back to the woman on the phone.

“Lena, talk to me,” she murmured gently. “What’s going on?”

Her breathing still coming in harsh gasps, Lena tried her best to answer Kara’s question. “I--nightmare,” she stuttered. “Everything—a mess—bodies—so much screaming—roof collapsed—everything went black.”

Kara could hear the terror rising in Lena’s voice as it shook with tears. She knew if she didn’t do something soon, the other woman would dissolve into a full on panic attack with Kara left helpless, unable to do anything but listen in agony. She tried to think fast, remembering when she was first taken in by the Danvers and would become so overwhelmed with grief that she couldn’t breathe. Eliza would pull her close and rest Kara’s head against her chest, instructing the girl to focus on the beat of her heart until she was able to calm down. It was something she and Alex still did for each other now that they lived so far from their mother.

But Lena was almost three thousand miles away. She could probably hold the phone to her heart, but then she wouldn’t be able to tell if it was helping at all. Suddenly, she remembered that Lena played music. She had once told Kara that playing the piano was one of the few things that distracted her on the nights when her thoughts began to spiral. She didn’t play an instrument, but Kara knew there was something else she could do to help.

“Lena,” she said, her voice soothing and gentle. “I have an idea, okay? Can you hear me?”

“Yes,” Lena breathed unevenly, her voice barely above a whisper.

“Good, I want you to concentrate on my voice,” Kara instructed. “Just my voice, and try to take deep, slow breaths. Can you do that for me?”

“Y-yeah, I can try,” Lena stammered, panic still on the edge of her voice.

“Okay, good, just focus on my voice,” Kara repeated, and then, softly, she started to sing.

 _“Sittin’ in the morning sun_  
_I’ll be sittin’ til the evening comes_  
_Watching the ships roll in_  
_And I'll watch ‘em roll away again_

 _Sittin' on the dock of the bay_  
_Watching the tide roll away_  
_Just gonna sit on the dock of the bay_  
_Wastin’ time”_

Kara could hear Lena’s breathing begin to even out, the gasps quieting down into light hiccups that were occasionally broken up by small sniffle. She smiled and kept singing, wanting to be sure that Lena was well and calm before trying to talk about what had happened. Truth be told, she was also reluctant to break the moment, feeling strangely content while singing an old standard to Lena Luthor in the early hours of the morning.

 _“I’m sittin’ here, resting my bones_  
_‘Cause this loneliness won’t leave me alone_  
_It's two thousand miles I roam_  
_Just to make this dock my home_  
  
_Sittin’ on the dock of the bay_  
_Watching the tide roll away_  
_I’m just gonna sit on the dock of the bay_  
_Wastin’ time”_

She finished the song and waited, allowing Lena to decide when she was ready. It took a few minutes, every now and then a deep breath being taken, only to be quieted once more, before Lena finally spoke.

“You never told me you could sing,” she said, quietly, a slight hitch still in her voice.

“You never asked,” Kara teased gently, hearing Lena let out a watery chuckle.

“I guess not,” Lena murmured. “That was beautiful, thank you.”

Kara knew that she wasn’t just thanking her for the song, but she didn’t press the issue and accepted the compliment. “Anytime.”

They fell into silence again, content to just enjoy the quiet for a moment, but Kara knew that they couldn’t avoid the issue forever. She gave Lena a few more minutes to just be, let her catch her breath and her bearings, before plunging in head first.

“So, do you want to talk about what happened?” Kara asked gently, hoping Lena didn’t dissolve into sobs again.

“I, um, I had a nightmare,” Lena admitted, clearing her throat. “I was in a subway station that was in ruins. All I could hear was the screaming of everyone around me, and there were bodies laying everywhere and so much blood. I tried to get out, but the ceiling cracked apart and started to fall. I woke up before it hit me.”

“I’m so sorry, Lee,” Kara said, concern clear in her voice. “Have you had this one before, or was this new?”

“No, I’ve had it before, it’s just been a while,” Lena replied. “Usually, I’m the one who does the bombing, or I watch from a distance as Lex does it, unable to stop him.”

Kara let that settle in her mind before speaking. “None of it was your fault, you know.”

She heard Lena sigh on the other end of the phone. “Maybe not directly, but I should have noticed that something wasn’t right, that he was becoming more and more volatile. I might have been able to do something.”

“Lena,” Kara began, keeping her voice calm but firm. “Nobody saw it coming, and that includes you. Your brother’s actions were his own, and you shouldn’t blame yourself just because he wasn’t the man you thought he was. It was not your fault, okay?”

Lena was silent for a few moments. “Okay,” she sighed, not sounding entirely convinced. Kara waited, in case there was anything else the other woman wanted to say.

“What do you normally do when you have these nightmares?” Kara asked, pivoting the conversation.

“I normally lay in bed all day and contemplate everything I could have done differently,” Lena stated bluntly.

“Okay, well, maybe don’t do that,” Kara replied, hearing Lena laugh softly again. “But I do think you should take the day off. Let yourself recharge.”

“I don’t know—“ Lena began to argue, but Kara interrupted her.

“They can manage without you for a day,” she insisted. “You should stay home, eat a ton of junk food, and binge Netflix all day. I know how hard you work, you deserve a day to yourself, Lee.”

“Maybe you’re right,” Lena sighed wearily

“I’m definitely right,” Kara insisted, smile in her voice. “And you can always text me if you feel yourself starting to spiral again, okay?”

“Are you sure?” Lena asked, unsure. “I wouldn’t want to bother you with all of this. I’m already a little embarrassed about calling in the middle of the night over a stupid dream.”

Kara sighed. “Lena Elizabeth Luthor,” Kara began, using Lena’s full name so that she knew she was listening. “I’m going to keep saying this until you hear it: You are not a bother. I am here, I want to be here, and you can talk to me about anything at anytime. Alright?”

She heard Lena let out a breath on the other end. “Lena?”

“Okay, I’ll try to remember that,” Lena conceded.

“Thank you.” She could hear Lena fidgeting, one of her fingernails tapping against the back of her phone. “Lee? Was there something else?”

“Kind of, um, I was just wondering…” Lena hestitated.

“Wondering what?” Kara prompted her.

“Well, since I kind of broke the metaphorical ice…can I call you tomorrow?” Lena asked quietly, a hint of shyness lacing her voice. “Or later today, since it technically is tomorrow. You know, when I’m not a complete mess?”

Kara smiled, happy that this wasn’t just a one-time thing that resulted from a state of panic, but actually a step forward. “I would really, really like that.”

“Me too,” Lena murmured, and they fell back into silence.

Kara waited, not wanting to let Lena go in case she needed to talk more. She sat quietly, once again waiting until the other woman decide what she wanted to do. Eventually, Lena spoke up again.

“Well, I’d better let you get back to sleep,” she said, sounding slightly reluctant. “You have to work in the morning.”

“Okay, if you’re feeling well enough to be by yourself,” Kara said, the question in her voice.

“Yeah, I’ll be okay,” Lena assured her. “I’m going to play some classical music to help me drift off and then try to sleep in.”

“Sounds perfect,” Kara grinned. “So, you’ll call tomorrow?”

“Absolutely.”

Kara grinned. “Alright, then I’ll talk to you soon. Get some sleep, and call me if you need me.”

“I will,” Lena promised. “Good night.” And she hung up.

Kara stared down at her phone for a few more seconds, a smile spreading across her face as she thought about getting to talk to Lena again the next day. The moment was broken up by a yawn, and she remembered that it was well past midnight, nearing one in the morning, and she had to be up early for a staff meeting in a matter of hours. She couldn’t be upset, though, as she thought about how she had been the one that Lena had trusted enough to call in the middle of the night to help her battle her demons. She set her phone back on the nightstand and settled down beneath the covers. Just as she felt herself start to drift back off into sleep, her phone vibrated again. She picked it up quickly, hoping Lena hadn’t had a second panic attack. She grinned tiredly when she saw the new message across her screen.

 **_Lena:_ ** _Thank you, I hope you’ll sing for me again? <3 _

Kara melted, knowing that she would do whatever this woman asked if it meant keeping that beautiful smile on her face. They would talk more tomorrow, and, maybe, they could start to really explore whatever this was that Kara knew they were both feeling. But it was late, so, until then, she settled on a short reply, before her fatigue finally got the best of her and she fell into unconsciousness.

 **_Kara:_ ** _Anytime, for you_ _=)_


	7. My Heartbeat Beats Me Senselessly

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ugh, rehearsals and work are keeping me busy, so this one took some time to hammer out. Thanks for being patient with me! No angst here, all good things, and another step forward for our girls!
> 
> As always, thank you for all of the comments, kudos, and bookmarks. You're all the best and I would hug every single one of you if I could! Hope you enjoy this chapter!
> 
> P.S. Smaller word count? What smaller word count?

To say that Kara was restless would have been the understatement of the year. Possibly the decade. She’d been bouncing around the office since the moment she arrived at work, much to the annoyance of Snapper, who sent her out on assignment within the first few hours of the work day. Kara didn’t mind. It gave her something to do, something to focus on besides her phone call with Lena later that evening. Even though it wasn’t really their first, thanks to last night’s emergency, it was still the first one in which they would get to have a conversation that wasn’t limited to words on a phone screen. She would actually get to hear Lena’s voice. Excited was hardly the word to describe how she was feeling.

Somehow, she got through her entire day without making a complete fool of herself or CatCo. She’d spent a few hours that morning interviewing various staff members of the mayor’s reelection campaign before heading out after lunch to do street interviews with citizens for their opinions on the local election season. In between, she and Lena kept up a sporadic correspondence, only able to really connect at lunch, as Lena was preparing for L Corp’s quarterly review and needed to make sure everything was in order for the company’s stakeholders.

By four that afternoon, she was practically bouncing off the walls, Snapper yelling at her to go home before she infected the whole office with her optimism. Not needing to be told a second time, Kara grabbed her purse and rushed to the elevator, her foot tapping against the tiles the entire way to the ground floor. She sent a quick text off to Lena, letting her know that she had left work, and grabbed the next bus for home. She made record time and was walking into her apartment barely twenty minutes later. She knew Lena would give her a little longer to be sure that she was home and settled in, so, to distract herself, Kara changed into sweats and sorted through some laundry that she’d left piled up in the basket for over a week.

She was just in the middle of hanging up her clean sweaters when she heard her phone ringing on the coffee table. Throwing the remaining garments on the bed, she rushed toward the living room to grab it, Lena’s name staring up at her from the screen. With a mixture of excitement and anxiety, she took a calming breath and hit the answer button.

“Hello?” Kara greeted, nerves evident in her voice.

“Hey,” Lena replied, just as shyly. Kara could hear the weariness in her voice, and she immediately became concerned.

“You sound exhausted,” she said, settling herself down on the couch. “Long day?”

“You have no idea,” Lena replied, launching into a detailed account of her morning spent in phone conferences with board members, overseeing the final budget details for the quarter report, before shutting herself in the lab all afternoon to work out a problem they were having with the microlenses in the holographic technology the company had been developing. All in all, Kara understood very little, but she listened to every word, interjecting with questions and commentary when necessary, and just let Lena vent about her crappy day.

“Anyway,” Lena was saying. “I somehow managed to fix the reflectors, but the projection is still giving me fits. I ended up just saying to hell with it and left it for tomorrow.”

“Lena Luthor actually left something unfinished at work?” Kara replied with mock surprise.

“I know!” Lena chuckled. “Aren’t you proud of me?”

“So proud,” Kara confirmed, a smile evident in her voice.

“I’ve been talking too much,” Lena said, shifting the subject. “What were you up to today?”

“Nothing exciting,” Kara shrugged. “Just some coverage of the mayor’s reelection campaign. She’ll end up winning in a landslide, everyone loves her.”

“Well, at least it got you out of the office for most of the day, right?”

“Yeah, I guess,” Kara agreed. “Oh! It did get me out for lunch, so I finally got to try this new Thai place I’ve been meaning to try!”

Lena laughed at Kara’s enthusiasm. “I love that lunch was the highlight of your day,” she teased.

“What can I say, you’re dating a girl who loves her food.”

And just like that, the conversation skidded to a halt. Kara snapped her mouth shut, realizing what she had just said. Silence reigned for a few minutes, Kara unsure what to say and Lena too stunned to immediately respond. It hung in the air between them, the weight of the last three weeks finally coming to a head with a simple, offhand comment. Eventually, it was Lena who found her voice first.

“Kara,” she began, hesitantly. “Did you mean that?”

Kara was quiet for a little longer, hoping against hope that she hadn’t somehow screwed this up or made Lena feel uncomfortable. However, as she’d already learned once, she knew honesty was her best option. She just had to approach this as carefully as possible.

“I mean…I’d be lying if I said you weren’t the first thing that I thought of in the morning,” she admitted quietly. “I know we haven’t met in person, yet, but talking to you is always the best part of my day.”

Lena smiled. “Mine too.”

Kara breathed a relieved laugh, the tension she felt at letting to comment slip loosening slightly. “I’m sorry, I told you I’m not the best at all of this.”

“Don’t be sorry,” Lena murmured. “But you didn’t really answer my question yet.”

“What question?”

Lena chuckled. Kara was endearing when she was flustered. “Did you mean it?”

She heard Kara let out a breath, waiting patiently. She knew she was asking a lot, so she she wasn’t going to push or demand anything. The ball was in Kara’s court.

Um…yes?” Kara answered, sounding unsure at first. “I mean, yes. I did. Is that okay?”

“It’s more than okay, Kara,” Lena reassured her softly.

Silence descended between them again, the meaning of what had just occurred fully sinking in and settling itself comfortably within the quiet. Kara’s mind was a tangled mess, trying to process the last few minutes. When she had first messaged CaffeineQueen, she had little hope that she would ever receive a response, but everything seemed to be falling into place beyond any of her expectations.

“So,” Kara broke the silence after a few minutes. “So this is a thing? We’re doing the thing?”

“I guess we’re doing the thing,” Lena chuckled.

“Okay,” Kara continued, letting her train of thought take over. “So how do we do this? Should we meet? We should meet, right?”

Lena sighed, thinking about her responsibilities at the company. “I would like that, but there’s no way I can get out of Metropolis for the foreseeable future; I’ve got the quarterly coming up and this holographic venture with Queen Industries is giving both fits. I can’t get away until we figure out the prototype.”

“Yeah,” Kara deflated. “And there’s no way Snapper is going to give me extended vacation time so soon, not to mention the election season coming up.”

Lena could hear Kara’s disappointment, and it tugged at her heart. “Hey, we’ll figure it out. Until then we just keep doing what we’re doing and see where this goes, yeah?”

“You’re right,” Kara sighed. “Of course, you’re right.”

“As always,” Lena bragged good-naturedly, causing Kara to laugh.

They talked a little longer about nothing in particular, until Lena found herself nodding off while Kara was telling her about the latest season of One Day At A Time on Netflix.

“Hey,” Lena interrupted gently. “I’m not trying to get rid of you, but I’m starting to lose consciousness over here. I think I need to get some sleep.”

“Oh! Absolutely, I’m so sorry!” Kara apologized earnestly.

“No, it’s fine, I just didn’t want to completely doze off on you mid-sentence. Can we talk more tomorrow?”

Kara smiled. “Yes, please.”

“Do you want to call this time, or should I?” Lena asked, struggling to keep her speech from slurring.

“I’ll call,” Kara said. “We can trade off, unless something comes up with one of us.”

“That sounds like a good plan,” Lena confirmed, a yawn interrupting the end of her sentence. Kara laughed again.

“Alright, bedtime, Lena Luthor,” she ordered. “You really do need to get some sleep. Any early meetings tomorrow?”

“Nope, nothing until after lunch.”

“Good, take it easy in the morning then,” Kara suggested. “Maybe tinker around in your lab, I know that helps you relax.”

Lena smiled at how well Kara already knew her. “I think I might. Maybe mess around with the microlenses some more.”

“That sounds like a great idea,” Kara confirmed. “Okay, I’m gonna let you go before you end up sleeping on the couch. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

“Looking forward to it already,” Lena replied. “Good night, Kara.”

“Good night, Lee.” And with a gentle click, the line went quiet.

Lena sat there for a few more seconds, smiling down at her phone, and thinking back over their conversation. A tired grin pulled at the corner of her lips. They were dating. She was officially dating Kara Danvers. _Oh, Jess is going to be insufferable_ , she thought, amusingly. Smiling, she finally dragged herself from her spot on the couch and headed toward her room for some much needed rest. Minutes later, she had just crawled into bed, sleep weighing heavy on her eyelids, when she heard her phone buzz. Knowing exactly who it is, she reached over lethargically to see what last minute thought had popped into Kara’s head.

 **_Kara:_ ** _I almost forgot, I have something for you._

Lena opened clicked open the attachment and was suddenly much more awake. It was an image of Kara. She was sitting on the arm of a sofa, wearing jeans and a dark blue sweater with her hair hanging loose around her shoulders. She was holding a bottle of beer and giving the camera one of her dazzling smiles. Before Lena could even ask about the picture, Kara sent another message.

 ** _Kara:_** _So you have something more personal than just my profile pictures. =)_

Lena smiled, touched at the thought. Wanting to return the favor, she swiped over to her photo album, knowing exactly which picture she wanted to send to Kara.

Jess had snapped it after a company fundraiser. They’d gone back up to her office and opened a bottle of wine to celebrate a successful evening. While they were standing outside, Jess had taken advantage of the glow of the city lights and snuck a quick picture. Lena was leaning over the low wall of the balcony, a half-empty glass of wine dangling from her hand. She had pulled her hair loose from it’s up-do so that it hung over one shoulder. Her feet were bare, and she was wearing a calf-length emerald green dress. She was looking at the camera peacefully, Jess having called her name softly to get her to look at the camera.

It was one of Lena’s favorites and one of the few where she looked truly at ease. She didn’t share such intimate photos with people, so she felt a small tug of apprehension as she sent it off to Kara, hoping she liked it. Vulnerability was not Lena’s strong suit, but something about Kara made her feel at ease, made her feel like it was worth the risk.

 **_Lena:_ ** _It seems only fair that I shouldn’t be the only one with a proper picture. ;)_

As usual with Kara, she didn’t have to wait long for a reply.

 **_Kara:_ ** _Wow…hello, beautiful! =D_

Lena chuckled sleepily, the sound echoing in her dark room. The tension she’d felt at sending the image dissipated as she marveled at the simplicity of it all. Kara Danvers made her feel light and…normal. She wasn’t Lena Luthor, billionare CEO of L Corp, and younger sister of domestic terrorist Lex Luthor. She was just Lena, a regular twenty-five-year-old who binged Netflix on the weekend and sang Kelly Clarkson in the shower. There were no expectations, no requirements; with Kara, Lena was allowed to just be.

She held her phone against her chest and bit her lower lip gently, contemplating. She had an idea of what it was that she was feeling, but it was something to ponder for another time. Tonight, all she wanted to focus on was this beautiful girl that had somehow slipped past all of Lena’s defenses and made herself right at home. Lena smiled, typing back a cheeky _Good night, Miss Danvers_. She scrolled back up to the picture, getting lost, not for the first time, in those impossibly blue eyes until she could no longer hold her own open.

 

* * *

 

It had been a long day. From the minute she arrived at the office that morning, Lena barely had a moment to herself, dashing from one meeting to another and conducting nearly half a dozen phone conferences with foreign partners. She’d barely had time for lunch, scarfing down the spring salad that Jess had left for her after her final morning meeting, before hurrying off to a video conference with Queen Industries to review the progress being made on their joint holographic technology.

By the time she arrived home at seven that evening, Lena was exhausted and needed a drink. She left her purse by the door and headed for the bedroom, depositing her briefcase on the kitchen counter as she passed by. She kicked off her shoes in the direction of the closet and slipped out of her blazer. Before tossing it onto her bed, she pulled her phone out of the pocket to check for any notifications. She felt a slight pang in her chest when the screen came up blank, Kara’s smiling face staring up from her lock screen, and she realized that she hadn’t spoken to the other girl since sending of a quick reply to her greeting that morning. Ever since establishing that they were dating, they hadn’t gone longer than a few hours without speaking. Lena was sure Kara would understand, but it still left her day feeling slightly empty without the constant flow of conversation. She’d let her have a little more time to finish up at work and then give her a call, eager to hear her voice. But, first, a change of clothes and a large glass of wine were in order.

Less than five minutes later, Lena made her way back toward the kitchen, now much more comfortable in an old pair of sweatpants and and overly large t-shirt, hair in loose waves down her back. She pulled a bottle of cherry wine from the fridge and was in the middle of pouring herself a generous glass when her phone began to vibrate on the counter where she had set it down. She nearly dropped the bottle when she realized that, instead of a normal phone call, Kara was requesting to FaceTime with her. She should have known it was inevitable; after a little over a month of talking, eventually they would work up to talking face to face, especially after they had decided to give the whole dating thing a shot. It was just a matter of which one of them was brave enough to be the first.

Picking up her phone, Lena felt a thrill shoot through her body at the thought of finally being able to look at Kara while they spoke, to see that beautiful smile in real time. With a horde of butterflies beating against her stomach, Lena smoothed down her hair and hit the call button with an anxious smile. Her nerves faded into confusion, however, when, instead of Kara, she was greeted by a white ceiling and a low hanging light fixture.

“Kara?” Lena called.

There was a squeak of surprise, a loud thud, as if something heavy had been dropped on the floor, and then Kara’s face was hovering over the phone, her long blonde hair falling in a curtain around her face.

“Lena?” Kara replied, surprise coloring her face as she picked up the phone. “Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry, I thought I hit the call button. I’ve had a rough day and I must not have been paying attention, I just really wanted to talk to you.”

“No, it’s fine, don’t apologize,” Lena waved her off, her concerns forgotten when she saw the weary look on Kara’s face. “What’s wrong? Did something happen at work?”

“What didn’t happen at work?” Kara groaned, bending down to pick up what Lena could tell was her purse from the floor, explaining the heavy thump from earlier. Kara must have just gotten home, calling Lena as soon as she’d closed the door behind her.

Lena listened patiently as Kara ranted about her day, explaining that her boss had thrown out her latest idea for an article about an underground fighting ring in the city, because he claimed she lacked proper evidence. Instead, he’d sent her out to work on a puff piece about National City’s top coffee shops. Lena listened sympathetically, but had to admit that she thought this Snapper guy had a point.

“I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’m totally on your side,” Lena was saying, look earnestly at the screen. “But I think he is right that you need more evidence before you can pursue it as a story. You said you only had one anonymous tip, right?”

“Yeah,” Kara grumbled. Lena couldn’t help but notice how her nose wrinkled up when she was frustrated. “It’s just annoying that he shot the idea down so fast, without letting me dig further.”

Lena nodded sympathetically. “So maybe you pursue it on your down time?”

Kara sighed heavily. “That’s probably what I’ll have to do.” She took a deep breath before her signature smile was back in its place. “Anyway, enough about me. How was your day? You look kind of tired.”

Lena’s heart fluttered a bit at the concern on Kara’s face, the little crease that appeared between her eyebrows. She shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts back up. “It’s nothing, I just had back to back meetings all day. I was just pouring a glass of wine when you called.”

Kara’s face scrunched up and Lena wondered how a single person could be so effortlessly adorable. “Have you been sleeping okay?” she asked pointedly, head tilting to the side.

Lena shrugged. “As well as can be expected,” she admitted, coming under the scrutiny of Kara’s furrowed brow. “Don’t look at me like that, you know I’ve been leaving the office earlier and eating proper meals instead of snacking.”

Kara’s gaze softened. “I know,” she admitted. “I just worry about you working yourself too hard.”

A light blush stained Lena’s cheeks and her gaze fell downward, shyness suddenly overtaking her. It was one thing to hear Kara say such caring, wonderful things, but it was entirely another to be able to see her at the same time. She looked back up to see the same warm eyes watching her patiently. They stared at each other for a few silent moments, taking in features that had, until now, only been seen in photographs. It was finally Kara who broke the silence, smiling shyly as she adjusted her glasses.

“You look really pretty by the way. I love when you wear your hair down.”

Lena giggled at the absurdity, looking down at her homely appearance. “Are you sure those glasses are working properly?”

Kara laughed, her smile growing wider and more relaxed. “No, really,” she insisted. “Don’t get me wrong, the bad-ass, CEO look is…wow. Definitely love the power suits and high heels, but I’m one of the few people that gets to see you outside of that. Relaxed, messy Lena is my favorite, because you’re not trying to impress anyone. You get to just be yourself.

Lena didn’t reply immediately, staring in complete wonder and the woman on the other side of her screen. Eventually Kara grew restless, tucking errant strands of hair behind her ear and fidgeting with her glasses nervously, waiting for Lena to speak, which she finally did with a tender look in her eyes.

“You really are something else, Kara Danvers,” she murmured softly.

This time it was Kara’s turn to blush, Lena gazing at her with a look in her eyes that Kara could not quite place. Whatever it was, it emboldened her. Contemplating for a few minutes, she chewed lightly on her bottom lip before coming to a decision. Before she could speak, however, Lena broke her from her reverie.

“Earth to Kara,” she called gently, a smile spreading across her face. “Where’d you fly off to all of a sudden?”

Kara felt her heart begin to speed up in her chest. She knew what she wanted to ask, but she was worried Lena wouldn’t like it. She looked back at the other woman, who was watching her expectantly, openly, and felt her courage swell.

“Well, um, I kind of had an idea,” Kara began tentatively. “If you’d be okay with it.

Lena nodded for her to continue, wondering what was on Kara’s mind that was making her so nervous.

“Would you consider going on a date with me?” Kara rushed out, her words running together so fast that Lena almost missed them.

Lena blinked a few times, letting the words sink in a little further, not quite understanding what Kara was getting at. Was she coming to visit? Did she expect Lena to go to National City? They’d made comments before about meeting in person eventually, but this was a giant leap forward from anything that had talked about so far, and neither one of them was able to get away from their current responsibilities for a cross-country trip. Lena realized that she must have been quiet for a little too long when Kara’s voice brought her back to the present.

“Wait, I’m sorry, that probably came out the wrong way,” Kara cringed, realizing where Lena’s mind went to. “I meant, like, what we’re doing now; a Skype date. We could get all dressed up and spend the evening together with some food and wine, totally uninterrupted; no phones, no work, no anything. Just us.”

The pieces finally clicked together in Lena’s head now that she realized what Kara meant. Her eyes lit up and a large smile settled itself over her features. Kara’s nerves dissolved and she felt her own smile widening to match Lena’s.

“That sounds wonderful, I would love to,” Lena replied. “When were you thinking?”

Kara took a minute, running through the rest of her week. It was only Tuesday and she knew that Snapper would keep her busy with fluff pieces until she brought him something worthwhile besides an anonymous source. That meant she really needed to devote the next few days to finding out more about the underground fighting ring.

“What about Saturday night?” she asked after a few minutes. “No work for me that day, and you rarely have meetings on the weekend, so we should be able to avoid any sudden schedule changes."

Lena nodded, perhaps a bit too eagerly. “I’ll make sure that Jess doesn’t overbook me for anything.” Her eyes rolled at the look that would appear on Jess’ face when she explained why she wanted to keep her Saturday evening open.

“Great!” Kara said, excitement seeping into her voice. “And how about we agree to a no FaceTiming rule until then? It’ll add to the excitement.”

Lena hesitated slightly, a little put off by not getting to actually see Kara again until the end of the week. However, she knew that she couldn’t say no to the the other woman, especially when she was giving Lena her signature puppy dog eyes.

“Alright,” she relented, smirking good-naturedly. “If you insist. I suppose I can survive four days.”

“Awesome! Okay, I have to go,” Kara sighed, clearly reluctant to say goodbye. “Alex is coming over for a sister night and need to shower all the coffee smell off of me.”

Lena chuckled, spotting a small stain on the front of Kara’s blouse. “Yes, that’s probably a good idea. Should I leave you two be for the evening?”

Kara looked apologetic. “Probably. I don’t want Alex to feel like I’m neglecting her, and I think she’s been feeling a little left out lately.”

“No worries,” Lena reassured her. “Go, spend some time with your sister. We’ll talk again in the morning, and I’ll see you again on Saturday.”

“You’re my favorite, you know that?” Kara grinned, dropping her voice to a whisper. “Don’t tell Alex.”

Lena mimed zipping her lips shut, causing Kara to giggle. “Now, go on,” she urged. “Enjoy your sister night.”

“Okay,” Kara nodded, blowing the screen a quick kiss that caused Lena’s heart to skip a beat. “I’ll talk to you in the morning. Good night!”

“Good night,” Lena replied, and then the screen returned to her home screen, Kara’s face exchanged for the picture she had sent Lena a few weeks ago. She sighed quietly, staring down at her glass of wine that was still sitting on the counter.

Four days until she would see Kara again. She could be patient; she had work that would keep her busy, and they would still talk every day until then. Her resolve melted, however, when her phone vibrated against the counter and she looked down to find a new message from Kara.

 **_Kara:_ ** _I miss that beautiful smile of yours already. <3_

Lena groaned. Saturday couldn’t come soon enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up is the awkward, adorable Skype date!


	8. All At Once Everything Looks Different

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heeeyyyy, so it's been a hot second since I've updated, and I'm very sorry for keeping you all waiting. I hit a period where, not only was I having the worst writer's block, but I was trying to juggle work and taking an online class, which required me to write a research paper, and I just fell behind on other things. But it's summer, school is out, and my class is finished, so I should be able to write much more frequently than the last couple of months.
> 
> Thank you all for your patience and the lovely messages I've received over on tumblr, it means the world to me! I hope you enjoy this latest chapter!
> 
> No beta, so sorry for any mistakes.

Jess had reacted just as Lena predicted she would. After a good twenty minutes full of a mixture of excited squeals and “I told you so,” she managed to be content with wearing a smug smile around the office as she went about her daily tasks for the next three days, a slight spring in her step. It amused Lena to watch her normally subdued secretary swagger around the office as if she owned it. She didn’t really mind; after all, Jess had definitely earned it, so Lena indulged her antics for the remainder of the week. In fact, she’d even taken to asking Jess her opinion on some details for the actual date.

“Don’t eat anything too messy,” Jess advised. “You don’t want to drop food all over yourself on the first date.” 

“Okay, so what counts as messy?” Lena asked, taking notes on her phone.

“Anything with a lot of sauce or that you have to eat with your hands,” Jess explained. “Oh, and nothing you slurp.”

Lena stared at her, eyes squinting in confusion.

“Like pasta, Miss Luthor.” 

Lena shook her head, tapping out a list of banned foods on her phone. “Right, of course.”

By the time they’d gone through options for food, makeup, lighting, and where she should sit in her apartment, Lena could feel her nerves beginning to fray at the ends. Ever the perceptive one, Jess made sure to clear Lena’s schedule on Friday of everything that was non-essential, leaving her entire morning and most of her afternoon completely free. As a thank you, Lena sent Jess home early for the weekend, personally walking her down to the lobby to make sure that she actually accepted the gesture. 

On Saturday morning, Lena had barely finished her mid-morning coffee when she heard her cell phone buzz on the counter. She stepped back in from the balcony, setting her mug down on the granite, and reached for the device. Her face broke out into a grin as she read Kara’s daily greeting.

**_Kara:_ ** _Today’s the day!!!_

Lena smiled, practically able to hear the sing-song tone in Kara’s voice and imagined the bright smile that was wide to bursting on her face. She glanced over at the clock on her wall and figured Kara must have just gotten up for the day. She knew the reporter had plans to spend most of the day with her sister, so she didn’t want to monopolize too much of her time. There would be plenty of opportunity for that tonight.

**_Lena:_** _And good morning to you, too, Kara. :)_

**_Kara:_** _Good morning, beautiful! Sorry, I’m just really excited!!!_

**_Lena:_ ** _Are you? The amount of exclamation points didn’t clue me into that at all. ;)_

**_Kara:_ ** _Oh, hush you. So what are you up to today? Any work?_

**_Lena:_ ** _A little, just a few reports to finish, but I can do that from home. I thought I might take a walk down to the docks later and relax with a book for a little while._

**_Kara:_ ** _That sounds like a great idea! You deserve to get away from work for a bit. Sounds like Alex and I are gonna go check out the Bombshells game after breakfast. She was able to get tickets through work._

**_Lena:_ ** _That sounds fun! I’ll let you go so you can get ready. Have fun with your sister and I will see you (literally!) later._

**_Kara:_ ** _Okay, I will! Don’t work too hard and enjoy a little you time today. I can’t wait for tonight! <3_

Lena smiled, setting her phone back down and reaching for her coffee. Taking a sip, she couldn’t help but smile knowing that she was going to get to see and talk to Kara and have her all to herself in just a matter of hours. Glancing back toward the balcony, Lena couldn’t resist the thought of a rare, warm morning in Metroplis, so she made a quick side trip into the living room to grab her laptop and stepped back out into the sunshine, dropping down onto one of the lounge chairs to finish up those reports.

 

* * *

 

Lena had changed her outfit no less than seven times, unable to decide whether or not each one was too much. She and Kara had agreed on a casual look for tonight, as getting all dressed up to sit in front of a computer screen seemed a bit pointless. However, she didn’t want to appear too casual, so after much back forth between different skirt and blouse combinations, Lena caved and did the one thing she swore she wouldn’t: she called Jess. As much as she didn’t want to see that knowing look in her secretary’s eyes on Monday, the one that she had teased Lena with mercilessly over the past few days, she also knew that Jess would be able to calm her down and choose something perfect.

After much subtle gloating on Jess’ end of the phone, a lot of it hinting at the possibility of some extra time off that Lena was all too happy to give, the secretary instructed her boss to send her some pictures of possible outfits she was considering. The first six Jess rejected with little preamble, reminding Lena that casual to regular people meant something much different than the CEO idea of casual. Taking a moment to consider, Lena changed one more time and sent the image off to Jess.

**_Jess_ ** _: That one, it’s perfect! Not too fancy and it really makes your eyes pop._

Lena smiled in relief and thanked Jess for her help. After her secretary had so bluntly explained what she referred to as the “normal people’s” definition of the word casual, Lena had opted for a worn pair of black skinny jeans and a long-sleeved blouse of deep purple. She’d left her hair down, letting it frame her face, and kept her makeup simple; some concealer and mascara. If Kara wanted casual, then she could do casual.

Making her way down the hall and toward the kitchen, Lena grabbed her laptop off the coffee table and set it down on the table in the little breakfast nook, plugging it into a nearby outlet so that she wouldn’t need to interrupt their date to get her charger later. Setting out her glass of wine and the salad she had prepared when she got home, Lena had nothing left to do but wait. Checking the time, she saw that it was five minutes to eight. Kara had sent a quick message earlier in the day, indicating that she would call Lena, since it was harder to predict when the baseball game would end. Better to play it safe, she had explained.

Lena was checking her makeup in the hallway mirror one last time when she heard the Skype ringtone echo through the apartment. Rushing back toward the table, Lena sat down, smoothing out her hair, and hit the accept button.

A few moments of a blank, buffering screen and then…there she was, smile lighting up her face like a burst of sunshine. Her hair was pulled back into a half updo and her bright, blue eyes sparkled behind the frames of her glasses, accentuated with a perfect swipe of winged eyeliner. Neither spoke at first as they took each other in, feeling the gap of the last four days since the last time they’d been face to face. Lena cleared her throat nervously. _Get it together, Luthor_ , she chastised herself.

“Hi…you, um, you look really beautiful,” Lena fumbled, taking her eyes from Kara’s face to notice the soft curl of her hair and comfy, gray sweater she was wearing.

“Thanks, uh, you look beautifuller,” Kara replied, cringing immediately at her mistake. “I mean more beautiful. Not, like, big or anything.”

Lena stared at her in amusement. “Did you just manage to accidentally quote a Disney movie as a compliment?”

Kara looked down at her lap shyly, her hand coming up to adjust her glasses out of nervous habit. “Possibly. Sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry,” Lena assured her. “I think it’s cute.” 

Kara looked back up, the smile returning to her face. “Really?”

Lena giggled at the puppy dog look in her eyes. “Definitely.”

A light blush dusted Kara’s cheeks. Her endearing awkwardness broke the tension and both women felt themselves relax, their nerves dissipating into gentle laughter and easy smiles.

“So,” Lena began, reaching for her wine glass and settling more comfortably into her chair. “How was the game? Did you and Alex have fun?”

And, just like that, Kara was off, launching into a detailed summary of her day, pausing only now and then to pop a crescent potsticker in her mouth. Lena was mesmerized by Kara’s ability to make even the most mundane occurrences seem exciting, listening as she explained, in minute detail, how her sister managed to run into the same man three separate times, spilling her beer on each occasion. Lena didn’t mind. In fact, not only did she find it endearing, she was also grateful for the chance to eat her salad without having to worry about talking with her mouth full.

“So what about you?” Kara broke through her musings. “Did you do much today? How was your time down at the docks?”

Lena smiled. “It was wonderful. I haven’t had a chance to just sit and enjoy a good book in so long.”

“Thanks great,” Kara replied around a mouthful of noodles. “And I’m sure it was nice just to get away from people for a while. Not have to worry about being disturbed.”

“It was,” Lena nodded. “I did have to deal with this one guy that kept trying to get my phone number. I tried to be nice, but I finally just had to tell him that I was taken and to back off, or—“

“Wait, what?” Kara interrupted, the potsticker she’d been holding in her chopsticks dropping back down into the container.

“I said that I was ta—“ Lena started to repeat before she came to a sudden halt, realizing the implication of her words. She and Kara had never officially put a name on what they were. Of course they were dating, they had officially acknowledged that, but that didn’t necessarily mean they were exclusive. It was something Lena had been avoiding, worried that Kara might find a long-distance relationship too difficult to maintain. They’d been having fun and she didn’t want to ruin it, though she may have managed to do just that.

“Oh, god,” Lena muttered, pinching the bridge of her nose and squeezing her eyes shut in frustration. “Kara, I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t have assumed. I just thought since we’re dating and we’ve been talking every day for the past few months that we weren’t—I mean, I wasn’t thinking. I should’ve taken your feelings into account. I know long-distance things are hard and I wouldn’t want to pressure you into any—“ 

Before Lena could continue, she was interrupted by an amused chuckle. She opened her eyes and pulled her hand away to see Kara’s signature smile lighting up her face impishly and felt a blush spread across her cheeks.

“It’s mean to tease people, Kara Danvers,” Lena muttered, pouting good-naturedly.

Kara merely smiled wider. “I’m sorry,” she giggled. “But I just couldn’t help it, you hardly ever get flustered and it’s pretty cute.”

“Yes, well,” Lena struggled to find a retort. “It’s still mean.”

Kara just shook her head and laughed. “My apologies, Miss Luthor,” she replied with a wink. 

“Anyway,” Lena emphasized, steering their conversation back around. “Since we’re already on the subject…if I were to ask, what would your answer be?”

Kara’s smile faded and she was quiet for a few moments as her expression grew serious. “Don’t ask if you don’t mean it, Lena.”

Lena hesitated for only briefly, doubt creeping into her mind as she wondered if they could maintain something exclusive and wholly their own despite the miles that stretched between them. However, as she looked into those bright, blue eyes, it suddenly became the simplest thing in the world. In that moment, Lena realized she would do anything for Kara. She’d spin the very planet backwards if Kara asked her to.

“I do,” Lena spoke softly. “I don’t think I’ve ever meant anything more.”

“Took you long enough,” Kara winked, causing Lena to throw her head back in laughter. 

Once they’d both regained their composure, they sat in silence, letting the moment linger and wash over them as it all began to sink in. It seemed as if the whole dynamic had somehow shifted, and the gaping distance between them became that much more pronounced. It sent an ache through both of their chests.

“We need to figure something out,” Kara sighed, an expression of longing crossing over her face. “Soon.”

“We will,” Lena assured her. “I promise we will.  I’m so close to a breakthrough with those damn microlenses, and then I’ll be on a plane headed straight to you, I swear.”

“You’d better,” Kara grinned, fidgeting with her glasses as a light blush crept across her cheeks. Lena felt the familiar butterflies fluttering around rapidly in her stomach. She suddenly felt a wave of uneasiness wash over her as she stared at this woman that had stolen her heart from nearly three thousand miles away. 

“Kara?” she began timidly, eyes cast to the floor.

Kara suddenly became concerned at the change in Lena’s demeanor. “What’s wrong, Lee?”

Lena looked up, seeing Kara’s concern behind the frames of her glasses. “We can do this, right?” she asked almost shyly. “Figure out a long distance relationship?”

Even as she said the word aloud for the first time, it suddenly felt like the most natural thing in the world, to finally put a name to what had steadily developed between them. Kara’s soft smile only further reassured that her uncertainty was nothing more than nerves.

“We can,” Kara nodded, her eyes bright. “I’m sure of it.”

 

* * *

Their date lasted for another couple of hours before Kara insisted that Lena sign off to get some sleep. As much as Lena tried to argue, wanting to spend more time face to face with her girlfriend (the word still felt giddily foreign to her thoughts and tongue), Kara assured her that they would have another Skype date soon, but only if she agreed to get some rest. 

After reluctantly saying goodbye, with the promise that Kara would call in the morning, Lena began to clear the table, flipping on the television for some background noise. Unplugging her laptop from the wall, she placed it back on the coffee table and tucked the charging cable back into its bag. She had just placed her salad bowl in the sink and was on her way back to the fridge to refill her wine glass when she heard a name on the television that stopped her in her tracks.

“…unknown at this time what Ms. Luthor’s full motives and intentions were, but we will have further updates as this story develops.”

As if in a dream, Lena felt her feet carry her toward the living room, where a breaking news story was flashing across the screen. Lena felt the empty wine glass slip from her hand, shattering against the hardwood floor, as a familiar face glared at her from the television just above the headline.

**_Lillian Luthor Arrested In Plot To Free Disgraced Son_ **


	9. The Little Girl's Got A Grenade

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uuuuuugh, hey guys. So I had planned on getting so much more writing done this summer, but then I got really ill so that kind of interrupted everything. On the bright side, I'm back at school/work (I'm a teacher), which actually gives me a lot more structure in my time and schedule, so it should help a lot with my writing, oddly enough.
> 
> I've been super excited to get this chapter out to you all, so I hope it was worth the wait!
> 
> Not beta'd, so any mistakes are mine.

Kara had not heard from Lena all morning. She’d failed to answer the phone for their daily call and hadn’t responded to the text message she’d sent a few hours ago. Kara couldn’t blame her. As soon as they’d said goodbye the previous evening, her phone had begun to blow up with text after text, ending only when Snapper called her, demanding that she come to the office immediately. It took only a few moments of wondering what could have happened in the few hours that she spent with Lena until the CNN alert flashed the breaking news across her screen:

**_Lillian Luthor arrested in plot to free disgraced son._ **

Kara had felt the color drain from her face before she grabbed her keys and rushed to the office. She’d thought about texting or calling Lena, but immediately knew that it would be a bad idea. Not only would Lena want her space, but she’d be bombarded with calls from every direction; lawyers, news outlets, law enforcement. Everyone would want a piece of Lena Luthor, wanting to know if she’d known or had anything to do with her mother’s plot, and Kara refused to add to the pile. She would give Lena time and let her do damage control in peace.

So, instead, Kara had been up and at the office for the better part of the last twelve hours, contacting source after source, trying to piece together a coherent report of exactly what had gotten Lillian Luthor arrested. From what Kara could tell, so far, it involved a handful of inside men, some willing prisoners, exactly one escape helicopter, and a lot of money exchanging hands.

She was well into her first draft of the initial report when her phone began to buzz on her desk. Without glancing down, eyes still trained on her notes, Kara hit the accept button and put the call on speaker.

“Kara Danvers,” she answered, her voice flat with exhaustion.

“…Kara?” Lena’s voice came through softly.

Kara’s head whipped toward her phone, report completely forgotten, as she fumbled to take the call of off speaker and hurried toward the stairwell to talk more privately. The last thing she needed was for Snapper to overhear that she had the actual Lena Luthor on the phone and press her to get a statement.

“Lena,” Kara breathed as she entered the deserted walkway. “Um…hey?” She cringed at her lack of ingenuity in the moment, but the circumstances were less than ideal and she was at a loss for how best to approach them.

Luckily Lena seemed unruffled by her lack of wit, chuckling quietly. “Hey,” she replied. “I assume you know by now. Actually, I’d be shocked if you haven’t been in the office for at least the last eight hours.”

“Twelve,” Kara admitted, slouching down onto the flight of stairs. “Snapper called me almost immediately after we finished our date. How long have you been at the office?”

“I got here about one,” Lena sighed, clearly exhausted. “Jess has been force-feeding me coffee all morning.” 

“Well, I’m glad someone’s taking care of you.” Kara grew quiet for a moment before asking the question that had been on her mind all morning. “So, what’s going to happen now.”

She could hear Lena exhale heavily, weighed down by the last several hours. “That’s actually part of why I called,” she admitted. “They’ve already announced a plan to go to trial in a few weeks.”

“What, how?!” Kara yelped, sitting up straight. “That’s so soon.”

“My mother has been a very vocal supporter of Lex’s agenda, Kara,” Lena explained. “The DOJ has never been able to prove anything against her, but it’d be foolish to think she hasn’t been intimately involved from the beginning. This is their chance to finally nail her, and they aren’t going to waste any time.”

“So what does that mean for you?”

Lena was silent for a few moments. “I talked with my lawyer a little while ago. The prosecution wants me to testify against Lillian.”

“Oh,” Kara replied softly, sympathy flooding her voice. “And will you? I mean, I know your mother is an awful person and you’ve never had a good relationship with her, but that’s still a pretty big th—“

“Wait, Kara,” Lena suddenly interrupted, her voice going rigid. “Hold on a second.”

There was a brief silence as Lena pulled away from the phone, possibly covering the mouthpiece with her hand. Kara could hear a faint voice in the background, followed by Lena’s muffled reply. A mixture of surprise and something else that Kara couldn’t quite place colored her tone. Before she could contemplate it further, Lena was speaking to her again.

“Kara, I’m so sorry, but I have to go.” Lena hesitated for a moment and Kara could hear her breathing through the receiver, a sort of tension hanging thick within the silence. “Something’s come up.”

“Oh, okay,” Kara stuttered, taken aback by the sudden icy tone lacing Lena’s voice. “Do you want to talk later, or…?”

She trailed off, not sure how much time Lena would have amongst the chaos, or if she would prefer her solitude as she sorted through everything. There was another stretching silence before Lena replied, warmth seeping back into her voice.

“Of course. I’ll let you know when I’m free.”

“Take your time, there’s no rush.”

“Thank you, we’ll talk later.” Lena promised. She carefully set the phone back in its cradle, her eyes never leaving the figure standing in front of her desk as they narrowed in disgust.

“What are you doing here?” she demanded coldly.

Lillian Luthor smiled indulgently, looking quite refreshed for someone who had just spent the last twelve hours in a maximum security holding cell. With her hair perfectly coifed, flawless makeup, and a smart skirt suit, she looked as if she had just arrived from a business meeting rather than federal prison.

“Come now, Lena,” she drawled haughtily. “That’s no way to greet your mother.” 

“Oh, of course, let me rephrase,” Lena replied, sitting back in her chair and crossing her legs. “What _the fuck_ are you doing here?”

Lillian was silent for a few moments, scrutinizing her daughter with a critical eye that Lena knew far too well. After a very pregnant pause, the matriarch dropped her professional persona and gazed down at Lena with dangerous intent.

“You always were such a difficult child,” she accused. “Not a shred of respect.”

Lena’s eyes narrowed further. “As if you were the pinnacle of motherhood." 

The corner of Lillian’s lips turned up in a smirk, almost amused by Lena’s reply. “I think it’s safe to say that we both fell quite short of expectations,” she admitted with a blasé wave of her hand. Lena rolled her eyes with a scoff, but Lillian ignored her and continued.

“Regardless, we’re Luthors, so we need to stand together in light of the current circumstances.”

Lena leaned forward, her eyebrow arching up incredulously at what she couldn’t believe Lillian was suggesting. The allegiance to family was something that ran deep within the Luthors; it had been a lesson that was drilled into her from the day she’d arrived in their home, but, for Lena, there was a line. Her brother had drawn it in the sand on that seemingly ordinary morning in Metropolis when he’d turned so many lives upside down, including her own. Lillian had chosen her side, had stepped over that line without a single moment of hesitation to be heard in the click of her high heels. Now she’d come to demand the same of her daughter; to abandon everything she had done in the last three years to repair the damage her family had caused and declare her loyalty to her brother and the Luthor name. Lena wanted to toss her over the balcony.

“You cannot be serious,” Lena growled, standing from her chair and defiantly crossing her arms across her chest.

“The trial will begin in two weeks, as I’m sure you know,” Lillian continued as though she hadn’t heard Lena’s response. “We need to present a united front, regardless of our past differences.”

“Differences?” Lena scoffed incredulously. “You sent your goons to threaten me after I spoke out against Lex’s terrorism. Why the hell would I ever support either of you?”

“We’re family, and he’s your brother.”

“He’s a psychopath.”

“That’s a matter of personal perspective, dear,” Lillian shrugged. “Where you see a psychopath, others see a patriot.”

“A patriot?” Lena practically shouted, unable to believe what her mother was saying.  “He killed and injured hundreds of innocent people, which you readily defended.”

“The results of his actions were certainly unfortunate,” the other woman replied callously. “But there are casualties in every war.”

“Do you even hear yourself?!” Lena was shouting now, her hands coming down hard against the glass top of her desk as she leaned against it. She took a moment to gather herself before continuing, her voice low and even. “Lex is a murderer; a bigoted lunatic who’s obsessed with convincing everyone to agree with his twisted beliefs. You may support his repulsive crusade, but I won’t be sucked into your madness.”

Lena drew herself back up to her full height. “He’s going to rot in prison for the rest of his life; you’re going to join him, and I won’t lose a single night of sleep over either of you.” 

Lillian, imperceptibly taken aback by her daughter’s outburst, appraised Lena for a stretch of time; her face a calm, collected mask, while Lena’s anger was on full display. Neither of them moved as they stared each other down, willing the other to break first. Finally, it was the small upturn of Lillian’s lips that broke the stand off.

“Well, I see you’re just as naïve as always,” she shook her head. “How disappointing, though hardly surprising.”

She turned to go, Lena’s eyes following her path toward the frosted glass door of her office. Just as she reached for the handle, Lillian turned back toward the room, her eyes cold as chips of ice, though the smirk remained on her lips. 

“You may be a Luthor in name, my dear,” she taunted. “But blood is what matters, and yours is as filthy as the orphanage we found you in.”

Lena felt a white hot rage rise in her chest. “Maybe,” she growled, baring her teeth. “But it’s the name that keeps me in control of all the money. Dirty blood or no, the Luthor assets are mine and you will never get your hands on them again.”

Lillian didn’t respond. This smirk has slipped from her face as Lena spoke, and she gave her one last withering look before exiting the room as regally as she had come. Lena was right, they both knew it, but Lillian would never give her the satisfaction of admitting it. She’d rather spend the rest of her life in prison, so Lena would happily let her without a hint of remorse. 

Breathing deeply, Lena sank back into her chair, dropping her head into her hands. Her thoughts ricocheted around in her mind, creating a dull ache behind her eyes. Reaching over blindly, she found the button for the connection to Jess’ line.

“Jess,” Lena sighed wearily. “Please hold all my calls for the rest of the day.”

Jess’ voice crackled over the speaker, concern lacing her tone. “Of course, Miss Luthor.” A brief moment of hesitation. “Is there anything else I can do for you?”

The implications behind the question were clear and Lena smiled at her secretary’s concern that went beyond their boss to employee relationship.

“A salad would be wonderful, when you get a moment,” she replied. “And, please, take a long lunch today. I’ll be on a conference call for a while.”

“Yes, Miss Luthor.”

Lena could hear the slight smile in her voice, Jess knowing very well what “conference call” actually meant. She brought in a Greek salad from the cafeteria five minutes later, and left to take her lunch. Alone on the top floor for the next few hours, Lena reached for her cell phone and selected the familiar number.

Kara picked up on the second ring. “Hey,” she greeted, worry in her voice. “Is everything okay?”

“Yes and no,” Lena admitted, spearing a cherry tomato with her fork and popping it into her mouth. “My mother showed up, trying to intimidate me.”

“Oh. Oh, wow.” Kara hesitated for a moment. “Are _you_ okay?”

Lena laughed humorously. “Of course,” she replied. “In my family, thinly veiled threats mean they care.”

“Lena…” Kara pressed, knowing her gallows humor was a way of covering up her real emotions.

Lena sighed. “I’m okay,” she promised. “Really, she can’t threaten me with anything. She’ll stand trial in a few weeks and get thrown into a matching cell right next to her favorite child. It’s almost poetic.”

“If she can’t threaten you, then what did she want?” Kara asked quietly.

“She tried to get me to support her.”

“She what?” Kara practically shouted, causing Lena to cringe at the volume. 

“She came in here spouting some bullshit about family allegiance and that we needed to stand together,” Lena muttered, stabbing at another tomato. “I basically told her to go fuck herself and get out of my office."

“That’s my girl,” Kara praised. “Can’t imagine she was too happy about that, though.”

Lena sighed, her mother’s parting words ringing in her ear. She wasn’t bothered by Lillian’s harsh words; she knew the woman had never loved her. However, that didn’t mean she never wondered what her life might have turned out like if it hadn’t been the Luthors that had plucked her from the orphanage; if it had been a family that really wanted her.

“She said that I wasn’t a true Luthor,” she admitted quietly. “That they should have just left me in the orphanage where I belonged.”

There was a brief silence. “Oh, _Lena_ …”

She could hear the mixture of horror and sympathy in Kara’s voice. “Hey,” Lena soothed. “It’s okay. I mean, it’s not, but I’m used to it.”

Kara sighed. “Still, you don’t deserve to be treated like that.”

“Yes, well, that seems to be a theme when it comes to Lillian. How’s your article about the attempted breakout coming? Any new revelations?”

Kara blew out a breath. “Nothing major,” she admitted. “They were able to identify the guards that were paid off. They started cooperating with the authorities pretty quickly, so they’ll likely get some kind of deal to lighten their sentences.” 

“Not surprising,” Lena scoffed. “Besides, they’re just hired goons. The feds have a bigger fish they’re after.”

“Your mother,” Kara supplied.

“Exactly. They must be salivating at the chance to get Lillian behind bars, after the way she went after some of the highest ranking officials when Lex was convicted.”

“Went after?”

“She never killed anyone, that I know of,” Lena reassured. “But she manipulated every single connection she had to ruin so many careers and lives.” She paused for a moment, thinking. After a moment, she shook her head and continued. “And now her arrogance will be her downfall.”

“And what will you do?” Kara asked quietly.

Lena thought for a moment, reminded of her brother’s trial and the hell it had put her and the company through. It shouldn’t be nearly the same fallout. Her mother had never made her opinions of Lex’s action a secret and Lena hadn’t let her anywhere near L Corp for the last three years; she no longer had a place in the business. Likely, with a clear and concise statement of condemnation, there would be very little backlash this time around.

“I’ll do the same as last time,” she replied. “Release a statement disassociating myself and the company from Lillian and condemn her and my brother’s actions. The only difference is that I’ll be testifying.”

“Are you worried?”

“Not really,” Lena admitted. “I just want to get it over with and wash my hands of the both of them. Get on with my life, finally.”

“I’m sorry that I can’t be there for you,” Kara murmured, regret resting on the edges of her voice.

“You are,” Lena reassured her softly. “Maybe not in the way that either of us prefer, but you are. And, once this trial is over, no more waiting.”

“Wait, are you saying…”

“Once this trial is done, I’m getting on a plane,” Lena clarified, a small smile forming on her lips. “Queen Industries be damned; they can wait for their stupid lenses a little longer.”

“Do you really mean that?” Kara asked.

“I do,” Lena replied. “I want to see you for real, to actually touch you. I can’t wait anymore.”

“Neither can I,” Kara breathed, giggling slightly.

They talked for another hour until Jess returned. Kara needed to get back to work before Snapper bit her head off and Lena had a meeting with her lawyer. They said goodbye with the promise of a Facetime conversation later that evening, when everything had calmed down. Kara managed to finish the early report of Lillian’s arrest about twenty minutes before her deadline, giving her some breathing room to process everything. This wasn’t just another story for her, it was personal, and from now until the sentencing, it was likely going to drag on for nearly a month. _Poor Lena_ , she thought, her mind wandering to the other woman and what she would have to endure over the next several weeks.

Suddenly, Kara was snapped from her reverie by a realization. Her heart thundered in her chest as she jumped to her feet and rushed toward Snapper’s office.

 

* * *

 

Lena sat at her desk in the late afternoon, poring over the notes from her lawyer that outlined the plan of the prosecution and the questions that they would ask her the following morning when she took the stand. It had been agreed that Lena should be questioned on the first day of the trial, to head off any slander that the prosecution was certainly gathering against her, and to deal an early blow to Lillian’s already flimsy case of a mother driven to madness. Lena was both eager and apprehensive to be testifying so early on, but it was out of her hands. 

It had been a long day and the weather seemed to sense the tension, as heavy clouds drifted overhead threatening to spill over onto the dreary city beneath them. Though not necessarily worried for the trial, Lena felt her anxiety rising with every hour that passed that drew her closer to confronting her mother in court. She wanted nothing more than to have it over and done so that she could return her life that had seemed to finally be falling into place before Lillian’s unwanted return.

She downed the rest of what must have been her tenth cup of coffee that day. Jess kept bringing them to her, because she knew how restless her boss was at the thought of tomorrow. She appreciated the sentiment too much to refuse, so Lena kept accepting them with a smile. She’d been holed up in her office all day with little contact otherwise, so she appreciated the brief respite, though it wasn’t enough to keep her from glancing down at her phone every five minutes or so. 

She’d talked to Kara that morning for their usual phone call, but the reporter had told her that she was being sent on an urgent assignment to cover a political protest that had sprung up downtown and wouldn’t be able to talk for a while. Lena was used to days when either she or Kara became too busy with work to communicate much throughout the day, but, with her anxiousness toward the impending trial, she felt a little bit resentful against the activists that had unintentionally stolen Kara away from her for the day. Shaking herself from her thoughts, Lena turned back toward her lawyer’s notes, trying to concentrate, when she was almost immediately interrupted.

“Um, excuse me, Miss Luthor?” Jess’ voice came hesitantly over the intercom. 

Lena sighed heavily, recalling that she had explicitly asked Jess to hold everything for the day so that she could be left alone.  She turned toward the speaker resentfully. “I really hope this is important Jess.”

“Yes, well,” Lena noted that Jess sounded a bit funny but couldn’t quite place it. “I know you said that you didn’t want to be bothered today, but I think you’re going to want to make an exception.”

Lena felt her stomach drop, wondering if her mother had decided to pay her one more visit before the trial. “Why is that?” she asked apprehensively. 

Jess cleared her throat. “There’s a Miss Danvers here to see you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special shout out the RatedRSS87 for providing the idea for that ending =)


	10. Your Heartstrings Play Soft and Low

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So much fluff, you guys. SO MUCH. Consider this chapter my gift to you as the next one or two will definitely be a little heavier.
> 
> I also just want to say how much I appreciate all of you and the comments and kudos you leave. It means so much to me that you all read and like the story, probably more than you know. I hope you enjoy this chapter!
> 
> No beta, so mistakes are mine.

Lena’s heart beat wildly in her chest as her mind registered what Jess had just told her. Kara, _her Kara_ , was here in Metropolis, in her building; she was standing just on the other side of her office door. She took a moment to gather herself, to slow her racing heart and calm the butterflies in her stomach. Standing gracefully to smooth down her skirt, Lena informed Jess to let her in and moved to greet Kara at the door. She was only halfway across the office when the frosted glass slowly began to swing open. Her breath caught in her throat for a few tense moments and then…there she was, standing in Lena’s office with an impish smile on her face as her hands nervously twisted the strap of her messenger bag. Dressed professionally in black slacks and a simple blue sweater beneath a plaid grey trench coat, Kara somehow seemed to glow in the late afternoon sun that was streaming through the windows behind Lena’s desk. Her soft, golden hair was pulled into a loose half updo, her glasses framing those impossibly blue eyes that held a mischievous sparkle; everything seemed to be magnified tenfold to what photos and Skype simply couldn’t quite capture. Lena realized with amusement that, were she not wearing her signature heels, Kara would actually stand slightly taller than her.

Neither spoke immediately, taking the time to fully appreciate the other. Kara wasn’t sure precisely where to start as her eyes traveled from feature to feature, attempting to catalog every piece of Lena to her memory. She hadn’t known what to anticipate when she entered L Corp and asked for the CEO. Unsurprisingly, the man at the front desk had scoffed at her request but gave her directions to the office anyway, suggesting that she leave a message with Miss Luthor’s secretary and not expect a reply for at least the next few weeks. Kara knew Jess, or at least knew of her; Lena had mentioned her in conversation, but she didn’t know how much Lena had mentioned Kara or if her name would mean anything to the woman standing between her and the person who had become the most important thing in her world, matched only by her sister. Her worry immediately dissolved at the small shriek of glee that escaped from Jess when Kara walked up to the desk and gave her name with a shy smile.

The nerves were back, however, as the two now stood face to face for the first time while they both struggled with where to begin. Silence stretched between them, creating a tension that filled the air and began to thicken with every passing second. Kara could feel her uncertainties rising, questioning if she had done the right thing by taking the first step and surprising Lena. They’d talked about it, of course, but perhaps the timing had been wrong and her presence would only serve to overwhelm her girlfriend’s already precarious nerves. She opened her mouth to speak, to apologize, to do anything that might break the strain between them when Lena took a small, timid step forward.

“Kara,” she breathed, speaking softly for fear that the woman before her was a mirage that might disappear at any moment. It seemed to be all the prompting Kara needed, because she suddenly dropped her bag to the ground and threw herself at Lena, slipping her arms tightly around the CEO’s neck with desperate force. The tension melted away and the room came to life again, Lena laughing in disbelief as Kara grinned against her shoulder. Lena pulled back first, still staring at the other woman in shock.

“How..?” Lena asked incredulously. “How are you here? _Why_ are you here?”

Kara ducked her head shyly and shrugged. “I didn’t want you to have to go through Lillian’s trial alone,” she admitted. “So, I managed to convince Snapper to let me come out here and cover the story firsthand.”

Lena blinked in confusion. “Wait, you mean you just walked up to your notoriously irritable boss and convinced him that, not only should he fly out and house up a reporter to cover the circus that will be my mother’s trial, but also that it should be you?” 

Kara shrugged shyly, biting down on her lip. “I wanted to support you.”

Lena just stared at her, unable to believe that she could have possibly done anything to deserve the woman standing in front of her. She often prided herself on her quick wit and ability to turn a phrase, but in this rare instance, Lena found herself on the back foot. Wracking her brain for words or sentiments that would not come, Lena did the only other thing she could think of and impulsively reached forward to pull Kara into another tight embrace. They held on longer this time, reveling in the feeling of the other against them. Lena buried her nose in Kara’s long hair and inhaled the sweet combination of vanilla and strawberries, as if needing another solid confirmation that Kara was really here in her office. 

“And according to Jess, you’ve been working too hard,” Kara half-joked when they pulled apart again, though Lena was absolutely sure that her secretary had mentioned the obsessive schedule she’d been keeping over the last few weeks before she’d allowed Kara into the office. Lena cleared her throat and guiltily dropped her gaze to the floor.

“That…may not be entirely untrue.”

Kara raised her eyebrows with a huff. “Be honest,” she warned, crossing her arms. “If I hadn’t showed up today, how much longer would you have been here?”

Lena cringed, knowing full well that she likely would have been here for several more hours, ordering takeout and eating at her desk while she continued study her notes for the trial. “A while,” she begrudgingly answered.

Kara shook her head and chuckled, knowing full well that Lena would spend the night in her office most days if Kara didn’t check in on her and demand that she go home. Poor Jess really was the saint that Lena described her as, and Kara made a mental note to do something nice for the secretary before she eventually headed back to National City.

“Uh huh, yeah, I know what ‘A while’ means in Luthorspeak, so grab your stuff, we’re leaving and getting you something substantial to eat.” Kara eyed the half eaten salad on the desk behind them.

“But—“

“Nope, no buts,” Kara cut her off. “I know you and I know you’re as prepared as you’re going to be for tomorrow. At this point you’re just torturing yourself.” She watched as Lena prepared to object but continued before she could try. “And don’t try to convince me you’re not hungry. A salad is not an adequate meal, it’s a warm up to the actual food. It’s like stretching before you run.”

Lena burst out laughing at Kara’s absurd comment, but held up her hands in mock surrender anyway. “Okay, okay, you’re right,” she admitted. “I’m starving and if I have to look at those court documents much longer I might scream. Just let me clean up a bit and grab my stuff.”

She turned back toward her desk and began to rearrange the various documents and files that littered the surface. Out of the corner of her eye, Lena saw Kara begin to wander around while she waited. She ended up over at the bookcase, running her fingers along the spines of various business manuals, financial binders, and a handful of personal selections. A large vase full of delicate lavender flowers sat on a low pedestal in front one of the full length windows, the water shimmering in the sunlight. Catching sight of them, Kara smiled and made her way over to inspect them. They added a subtle pop of color to the otherwise minimalist office and filled the space with a light aroma that Kara inhaled with a quiet hum.

“These are pretty. What kind are they?”

Lena glanced over from slipping a few papers into her briefcase and smiled. “They’re called Alstroemerias. Or Peruvian Lilies if you want to sound less pretentious.”

Kara chuckled at the dry humor. “Do they mean anything important, or do you just like them?”

Lena hesitated slightly before turning her gaze to the floor. “They mainly stand for friendship and devotion,” she explained quietly. “But one of the lesser meanings is survival and overcoming hardships in life.”

Kara smiled softly and walked over to Lena to place a gentle hand on her arm. “They’re beautiful,” she murmured. Lena’s eyes rose to meet hers, blushing as she caught the double meaning of Kara’s words. Clearing her throat, she turned to slip on her black drape coat and grab her bag off of the desk.

“Are you ready?” she asked. “I have everything that I need.”

Kara nodded and began to walk toward the exit with Lena leading the way half a step ahead of her. It seemed so surreal to her that she was really in Metropolis. She was ever the optimist, but even she scarcely believed that Snapper would actually go along with her absurd and spontaneous idea of covering Lillian Luthor’s trial in person. However, whether he genuinely saw merit in her idea or just wanted her out of his hair for a while, he had agreed and set her up with a flight, a hotel room, and a menacing warning that she had better not screw this up. And now here she was in Lena’s office, and everything felt like it was finally falling into place. There was just one more thing and then it would all be perfect.

“Wait, hang on,” Kara paused, stopping Lena at the door. “I almost forgot something.”

Lena looked at her with confusion, glancing back toward her office for whatever Kara could have possibly left behind. She turned back as Kara’s hands snuck down to her waist and tugged her forward with a grin, comprehension dawning on Lena with a smile of her own as her own hands came up to rest against Kara’s shoulders. They moved slowly, pulled together by an invisible string until they were just a breath’s distance away from each other. Lena’s smile grew as she nudged Kara’s nose with her own, her eyes slowly fluttering closed before finally eliminating the gap between them. It wasn’t the clichéd kiss of the movies; there were no fireworks or lights popping behind their eyes and a rush of uninhibited passion. Instead, it was soft and reserved; the gentle culmination of weeks filled with early morning phone calls and late night Skype sessions and everything in between. There was no rush, no need for whispered promises or lifelong pledges. Their connection had stretched and survived the thousands of miles in between them, and now they had all the time in the world bridge that distance. Kara pulled away first, her fingers twirling a lock of Lena’s hair as an indulgent smile stretched across her face.

“Well,” Lena murmured slightly dazed. “Definitely wouldn’t want you to forget that. You should probably remind yourself pretty often, just in case.”

Kara laughed and pulled back, taking hold of Lena’s hand to lace their fingers together. It was somehow different and familiar at the same time, Kara’s palm feeling warm against her skin. Lena smiled and gave the hand in hers a light squeeze.

“Now that I’ve officially got everything,” Kara said with a grin. “How about that dinner? I think I remember you telling me that Metropolis has some of the best Thai food on the east coast.”

They made their way down to the lobby and out into the early evening sun that was still sitting just atop the skyline, slowly beginning to slip into the gaps between the skyscrapers that towered above them. Lena had offered to call a car but Kara refused, wanting a chance to wander through the city streets and explore Metropolis in the early autumn. Standing outside of L Corp, Kara looked over at Lena expectantly, waiting for her to lead the way to the corner takeout shop that Lena had promised was better than anything she’d find in National City. With a shy smile, Lena nodded her head to their left and began to lead Kara down the sidewalk and through the bustling streets of Metropolis. She felt the hand in hers tighten slightly and she cherished the fact that Kara was really here with her. They didn’t speak much as they walked; Kara was too busy gazing around her in wonder, while Lena carefully made sure that she wasn’t run over or swallowed up by the other pedestrians. Better to get Kara to their destination in one piece, she figured. There would be plenty of time to talk soon enough.

“Here,” Lena eventually indicated, giving Kara’s hand a squeeze and nodding toward the building on their right. Kara looked up at the sign above the door spelling out “Authentic Thai Cuisine” in blocky letters. Kara let Lena order the food, since she had a better idea of what was good. Besides, as long as she had her beloved potstickers, she was happy. They took it to go, the bag swinging from Kara’s free hand as Lena led them down a few more blocks before turning the corner toward the first real swath of green that Kara had seen in the entire city. The wrought iron sign over the entrance read Centennial Park, and it stretched on for blocks, filling the otherwise dreary landscape with a burst of color. A gentle breeze combed through the trees, it’s fingers pulling lightly against the changing leaves as a few fell from their perch and drifted gracefully onto the walkway. Kara inhaled deeply, enjoying the smell of the damp earth filling her senses, so different from the sea-and-salt-filled air of home. She grinned at Lena, whose green eyes were watching her with a sort of contentment. They resumed walking, both of them too shy to meet each others gaze as their joined hands swung absentmindedly between them. Eventually they settled down on a bench next to a small pond, watching a handful of ducks glide effortlessly through the water while they enjoyed their makeshift picnic.

“So when did you actually get here?” Lena asked after several more minutes of silence as they ate.

Kara tilted her head as she thought, a habit that Lena had noticed over their many Skype dates. “Almost two hours ago,” she figured before turning back toward her Pad Thai. She didn’t want to admit it, but Lena was right: none of the Thai shops in National City even came close to this place.

Lena did the math in her head, including their walk to the restaurant and then to the park. “So you checked into your hotel and then came straight to my office?”

Kara nodded as she stuck a potsticker in her mouth. “It had the sight most worth seeing in Metropolis,” she said with a wink

Lena shook her head with smile, charmed by Kara’s brazen flirting, when a sudden thought occurred to her and she dropped her chopsticks into the takeout container. She wasn’t sure why she hadn’t realized it before, though it was probably lost in the surprised and delight at being face to face with her girlfriend for the first time. Kara, however, remained completely unaware of Lena’s sudden revelation and only looked up from her food when she heard the other woman’s slightly accusatory tone.

“There was no political protest,” Lena stated vaguely. 

Kara squinted at her in confusion as she tried to piece together the statement with the conversation they’d just been having. The realization struck her when she recalled their text exchange that morning before she had left for the airport. She’d needed something to keep Lena from being suspicious about her long silence as she traveled, and a field piece had seemed like the perfect ruse. Clearly, it had done the trick as she laughed at the grumpy look on Lena’s face at being successfully duped.

“No, I’m sorry,” she admitted sheepishly. “I just didn’t want you to wonder why I suddenly went silent for hours, so I came up with an excuse. Sorry.” 

Lena chuckled and leaned over to bump her shoulder against Kara’s. “I’m not mad, just surprised that I didn’t figure it out sooner. Guess I was just too excited to see you.” 

Kara set her empty container down on the bench and scooted closer, turning her body so that she could rest her chin on Lena’s shoulder and look up at her with large puppy dog eyes.

“Still, can I make it up to you?” she pleaded, her eyes widening almost comically.

Stifling a laugh at her dramatics, Lena gave Kara an appraising look. “Perhaps, but how would you intend to do that, Miss Danvers?”

Kara smiled at Lena’s sass and grabbed her gently by the lapel of her jacket to pull her in. The kiss was much more confident than their first; Kara grasped at Lena’s coat as she pressed her lips firmly against the brunette’s, moving gently against her but never demanding more. Lena had brought her hands up to cradle Kara’s jaw, her thumb brushing lightly against her cheekbone. It was sweet and sensual all in one, Kara innocently moving her fingers up to caress Lena’s collarbones while she reciprocated by combing her fingers through golden hair. They lost themselves to time and space, existing only in their little bubble upon the cozy park bench until the need for air became too great.

When they pulled apart, their foreheads came together as they each caught their breath. Kara indulged in one final peck before turning her body back toward the pond, slipping her arm through the crook of Lena’s elbow and tilting her head down to rest on her shoulder. Lena buried her nose in Kara’s hair, inhaling deeply, before resting her cheek against the crown of her head. They sat in comfortable silence, watching the ducks continue to carve through the placid water while the sun began to disappear beneath the horizon. The street lamps that were dotted along the park paths began to spark to life, their light reflecting off of the calm surface of the lake. With a gentle nudge, Lena stood and pulled Kara to her feet with her. They collected their empty containers and deposited them in a nearby trash can, leaving their hands free for Kara to slip her fingers between Lena’s as they walked slowly toward the park exit. The sun had completely fallen from the sky, only the faintest tendrils of light still clawing toward the heavens, and the Metropolis nightlife began to buzz around them.

“Which hotel are you staying at?” Lena asked. 

Kara cleared her throat nervously. “The, um…the Lexor Hotel.” She looked at Lena to gauge her reaction, but nothing seemed amiss. If Lena was at all bothered by the location, she certainly didn’t show it. Though, of course, the property was technically hers now, so maybe she didn’t view it as something worth being bothered by; just another business acquirement from her brother’s downfall.

“Makes sense,” Lena nodded. “It’s a pretty central location and just a few blocks from the courthouse. Mind if I walk you back?”

Kara smiled. “Of course not. The more time with you, the better.”

They walked quietly for a few minutes, enjoying the mild evening. The breeze had died down and the sounds of the city echoed around them; honking cars, friends laughing and calling to each other along the sidewalks, street musicians set up outside of bars hoping to make a few extra bucks. The atmosphere was intoxicating and Kara was just trying to take it all in as she stared around in every direction; it was so different, so much busier than National City. She caught Lena watching her, that same look of contentment on her face, and blushed slightly.

“Sorry,” she muttered.

Lena chuckled. “Don’t be,” she insisted. “It’s cute, that sense of wonder at being in a new place.”

Kara’s blush deepened slightly at Lena’s words. “So,” she began, fiddling with the strap of her bag again. Lena wondered if it was another one of her nervous habits; she’d noticed a lot of Kara’s little ticks involved her hands. “how are you feeling? About tomorrow?”

Lena thought about it for a few moments before shrugging noncommittally. “Not nervous, per say,” she replied. “Just not looking forward to facing my mother.”

“I understand,” Kara nodded before stopping herself. “Well, no, I guess I don’t really understand, but I can sympathize. It can’t be easy, being pretty much on your own for the last three and now it’s all coming back again.”

“I wasn’t totally alone,” Lena amended. “I had Jess. I know she’s technically my employee, but she’s also been a very good friend.” She paused before continuing. “And now I also have you.”

Kara smiled widely, squeezing Lena’s hand in hers. “You have me,” she confirmed.

“I’m so glad you’re here,” Lena admitted quietly. “I don’t know if I would be able to get through this without you.”

“Sometimes my impulsiveness is more of a blessing than a curse,” she joked.

Lena smiled at her warmly. “Always a blessing,” she reassured, tucking an errant lock of hair behind Kara’s ear with her free hand.

It was a couple of moments before Kara realized that they had stopped walking and gazed around; they were outside her hotel, the warm lights of the marquee flooding their patch of sidewalk with as soft glow. “Well, I guess this is me,” she said, turning back around to face Lena who was looking up at the hotel with an almost wistful expression on her face.

“I guess so,” she nodded, her eyes sliding back down to Kara’s. “I suppose I’ll see you in the morning.”

Kara grimaced, the thought of not seeing Lena again until they were both sitting in a cold, sterile courtroom entirely deplorable to her. And even then, they would be unable to communicate, as professionalism would need to be maintained in such an environment. Kara realized with a jolt that they would need to remain distant for the duration of the court proceedings; no private conversations, so exchanged looks, nothing out of the ordinary for a CEO and a reporter in the courtroom. It caused a slight ache in her chest to think of how cold they would have to be to each other over next few weeks, at least in the public eye. Determined not to let the trial be the entire focus of her visit and her time with Lena, Kara got an idea.

“How about breakfast?” she asked with her signature smile.

Lena blinked, not understanding right away. “What?”

“Breakfast,” Kara repeated. “With me, tomorrow before everything starts. We can meet somewhere and then leave separately so that it doesn’t seem too suspicious.”

Lena considered the idea, the prospect of a quiet breakfast with Kara sounding like just the thing she would need to get her through tomorrow’s opening statements and questioning. She smiled at the thought of sitting in a cozy coffee shop across from Kara, their legs brushing together as they stole bites of each others food in between sips of fresh lattes. It was a perfect image. 

“I’d love to,” she murmured, lifting up their joined hands to kiss Kara’s knuckles. “I know just the spot, too. I’ll text you the address.”

“Sounds perfect,” Kara grinned. “Well, I’d better head in and get some rest. Time change is messing with me a little and I’m already exhausted.”

Lena nodded. “I’m sure. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“I can’t wait,” Kara whispered, leaning in for one last lingering kiss before giving Lena another of her dazzling smiles and turning to head into the hotel and up to her room.

Lena watched her walk through the doors before turning to leave, her heels clicking against the concrete sidewalk as she made her way back toward L Corp just a handful of blocks away. She sent a quick text to her driver to instruct him to meet her outside the main entrance and slipped her phone back into her pocket. She thought about the next morning and the days to come, knowing the burden of her mother’s trial would be made all the less cumbersome just by having Kara near. It would need to be strictly professional in front of prying eyes, but the time in between was all theirs to spend as they wished. She had the next few weeks to soak up as much of Kara’s presence as she could, and she planned on taking every advantage of that. Lena smiled as she reached the front of L Corp, walking toward the waiting car and feeling warm despite the slight chill in the air.


	11. The World Is On Our Shoulders

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heeeeyyyy guys. I know it's been a while, and I am genuinely so sorry it took me this long to post an update. I was having some writer's block with this chapter, so I took a little break from it to clear my head, and when I came back I was feeling very uninspired and just couldn't get back into the story. I ended up stepping away from it for a while, doing some other writing in hopes that it would help me get past the roadblocks I was experiencing. It took far longer than I expected, but eventually I fell back in love with writing this story again. The pace at which I finished this chapter surprised even me and I hope that I can keep up that momentum as I move forward with it.
> 
> Hopefully the long wait was worth it and that you enjoy this new chapter!
> 
> No beta, so all mistakes are my own.
> 
> I'm tardis-custard-cream (new profile) over on tumblr, so feel free to come say hello.

Lena couldn’t believe how stupid she had been. She’d woken up with a smile on her face that had quickly slipped away as a pit of dread formed in her stomach. She snatched her phone off of the bedside table and skimmed through the various emails and news stories that had cropped up during the hours she’d been asleep. Finding nothing, she practically jumped from bed and hurried into the living room, turning on the television to the Metropolis news.

Nothing.

Breathing a deep sigh of relief, she sat down on the couch and rested her head in her hands. She’d almost ruined everything. Normally, Lena prided herself on being cautious to the point of obsession, always making sure that she was at least six steps ahead of everyone else. However, the appearance of Kara had caught her off guard, too excited at finally being face to face with her girlfriend that she’d thrown all her careful precaution to the wind. They’d been lucky, and she could have kicked herself for being so careless the night before. How they had managed to avoid any press scrutiny was nothing short a miracle, but she knew that they wouldn’t be so fortunate a second time.

She briefly considered cancelling their breakfast, but Lena remembered the hopeful smile on Kara’s face the previous evening, how excited she’d been when Lena had accepted her invitation; she didn’t want to be the reason for that smile disappearing. Besides, if the press was unaware of their meeting the night before, they had no reason to suspect her presence at a random coffee shop blocks away from their encampment outside of City Hall. They would be fine, she managed to convince herself, but she knew that they couldn’t leave anything to chance after today. Lena would become more scrutinized than ever after her appearance on the stand, and she couldn’t bear to subject Kara to that level of exposure. They’d figure out a plan, something to keep their relationship away from prying eyes. Lena wouldn’t let her mother ruin this part of her life, too.

She sent a quick text off to Kara with the address of the café, receiving an onslaught of exclamation points and emojis in response, before getting ready for what she knew would be a very long, very challenging day. Knowing she’d be going straight to the courtroom after breakfast, Lena slipped into her most professional skirt suit; sleek and black with a pencil-thin skirt that clung to her hips. Her sky-high stilettos clicked audibly against the floor, creating an air of confidence and intimidation that carried her across the apartment. With her hair pulled back into a neat ponytail and the usual shade of red staining her lips, Lena gave herself a final once over in the hallway mirror before grabbing her briefcase and exiting her apartment, putting on her usual demeanor of cool indifference.

Her car met her outside the maintenance entrance at the back of the building in an effort to avoid prying eyes. She knew a number of reporters would likely be waiting for her at the lobby, wanting a coveted picture of the final standing pillar of the Luthor empire on her way to fully topple its matriarch, and she refused to be a part of their spectacle. She arrived at the café twenty minutes later, having the driver drop her off a block away from the entrance to avoid any attention. Keeping her head low, coat tight, and sunglasses firmly on the bridge of her nose, nobody gave her a passing glance as she made her way into the unassuming shop. Gazing around, she almost immediately found Kara near the back of the room and smiled. She hadn’t noticed her yet, flipping through what Lena assumed must be her notes for the opening day of the trial. A mug of coffee sat in front of her, the tendrils of steam catching the morning light from the window as they drifted gracefully to the ceiling.

Lena walked toward her, only removing her sunglasses when she had her back to most of the other patrons in the café. At the sound of her heels, Kara raised her eyes from her notepad and smiled that same mega-watt grin from the previous night. Standing up, she greeted Lena with a warm kiss to her cheek and a quiet “Hey you” before motioning for the other woman to sit. 

“I’ll go grab you something so you don’t have to draw attention to yourself,” Kara told her before heading up to the front counter. A few minutes later, she reappeared with a cup of black coffee and a fruit and yogurt bowl for Lena before setting down her own plate piled high with golden, fluffy pancakes drowning in syrup. Lena smiled gratefully.

“Do you really know me so well, or am I just this predictable?”

Kara giggled and adjusted her glasses. “Well, I know you don’t like flavor in your coffee, and you mentioned once that you don’t eat anything fried or heavy for breakfast. Is it okay, or would you prefer something else?”

Lena shook her head, smile growing wider as she reached across the table to take one of Kara’s hands in her own. “It’s perfect,” she reassured. “Thank you.”

Kara relaxed and squeezed Lena’s fingers. Reluctantly letting go, they picked up their silverware and began to eat, exchanging shy glances every now and then but not speaking. It seemed their nerves were still getting the better of them, despite the evening they’d just spent together. Lena was staring into her bowl of yogurt, lost in her thoughts as she struggled to think of something to say to break the fragile tension when she felt the tip of Kara’s foot graze against her ankle and lifted her eyes to meet those gorgeous blues.

“You’re overthinking,” Kara teased. “I know we’re kind of figuring this all out as we go, but it’s still only me.”

Lena huffed good-naturedly and smiled. “Sorry, just not completely used to the fact that you’re actually sitting in front of me,” she admitted. “I think it’s throwing me off my game a bit.”

“If it helps, I can move to another table and we can Facetime,” Kara suggested with a wink.

Lena laughed, throwing her head back as some of the tension drained from her shoulders. Kara seemed to have that effect on her; to allow her to let go and feel a little more free, a little more normal. “Thanks for the offer, but I like you right where you are,” she replied, lifting the toe of her stiletto to press against Kara’s Oxford boot, earning a wide smile. She grinned back but faltered when she remembered her panic from just a little while earlier, knowing that the two of them needed to have a discussion sooner rather than later if they were to maintain their blissful anonymity.

“There is something we should talk about, though,” Lena added, causing the blonde’s smile to falter slightly.

“We were lucky last night,” Lena continued, twisting her hands around the napkin in her lap. “I woke up expecting to see pictures of us splashed all over the internet and on the cover of every tabloid. And I’m used to that sort of thing, but you aren’t, and I couldn’t bear to put you under that kind of microscope. It’s completely unfair to you.”

Lena paused and Kara felt her heart stutter. “So what are you saying?” she asked cautiously. “Do you think we shouldn’t--?

“No!” Lena interrupted loudly, causing a few patrons to look over in their directions. She cringed inwardly before continuing in a much quieter voice. “No, that’s not what I’m saying at all. I just think we need to be more careful, take more precautions. Maybe not have quite as public dates like a romantic dinner in the park at sunset.” Her eyebrow quirked up teasingly and Kara giggled, heart returning to a normal rhythm.

“Okay,” Kara nodded thoughtfully. “We’ll be more careful; no public meetings, sneaking in and out of back doors. Kind of romantic in a noir sort of way.”

Lena just shook her head and chuckled. “You are such a dork.”

Kara grinned and sat back in her seat. “You love it,” she said, picking up her latte and taking a sip. “So how are you feeling?” she put her cup back down and asked a bit more seriously.

Lena shrugged, chewing thoughtfully on a strawberry before answering. “Okay. Mostly just ready to get this over with and move on with my life, with the company.”

Kara nodded sympathetically. “Well hopefully only a few more weeks and you can put this all behind you, yeah?”

“Yeah, I hope so” Lena agreed. “And then I think it’s time for a vacation.” 

“Ooh, any particular places in mind?” Kara asked innocently.

Lena smiled indulgently. “A couple,” she shrugged. “But I think I’ve got a really good idea of where I want to go.” She slid her stiletto up to trace the muscle of Kara’s calf, earning a dreamy grin from the other woman. “After all, I believe I made a promise to someone not too long ago.”

They stayed as long as they could, keeping a watchful eye on the clock behind the counter until they’d squeezed every last second out of their time together as possible. Their subtle flirting beneath the table continued as they began an unspoken competition of who could keep a straight face the longest as they talked. However, their time eventually came to an end as Kara reluctantly began to gather her things, being press and needing to arrive at City Hall early enough to get a good spot in the gallery. She departed with a chaste kiss to Lena’s lips across the table, giving her shoulder a gentle squeeze on her way out. Lena watched her go with a smile and settled back into her seat. They’d agreed to meet privately the following night to spend some time together away from prying eyes, and she already found herself counting down the minutes. She lingered in the café for another twenty minutes daydreaming over the remainder of her coffee about the end of the trial, the freedom it would afford her to finally escape from her family’s poisonous clutches and forge a new legacy for the Luthor name. Ultimately reality came back into focus and Lena sighed heavily, draining the remaining drops from her mug. Laying her payment on the table, she slid her sunglasses back onto the bridge of her nose and headed for the door, slipping the familiar, cold mask back over her expression.

 

* * *

 

The first day of Lillian’s trial turned out to be numbingly uneventful. After the prosecution and defense had given their opening statements, the first witnesses were called. Lena would be third on the stand, after the head of security at the prison and the FBI agent who had headed the investigative team of Lex’s terrorist attack. Neither man offered anything of substance, answering superficial questions about the security breach and the possible theft of confidential information in Lex’s case, respectively. They were merely a warm up for the day’s main event. When Lena heard her name called by the DA, she rose gracefully from her seat and walked toward the stand, the sound of her heels against the hard wood echoing around the chamber. Murmurs echoed across the room as she slid gracefully into the witness stand and repeated the oath to give her sworn testimony. Unfortunately, anybody hoping for any kind of dramatic reveal or plot twist would be sorely disappointed.

The prosecution moved smoothly through the list of questions and evidence that Lena had been briefed through and studied in the days leading up to her appearance; her relationship with her brother, Lillian’s indifference toward her, their recent meeting in which she insist that Lena should support her family, her unfailing support for her son and his crusade. With each exchange, the prosecution painted a picture of a cold, calculating woman who failed to see the fault and horror in her child’s actions, perhaps almost viewing him as a hero. Of course she would be more than willing to do whatever she could for her favorite child, including, but not limited to, breaking him free from federal prison. 

Once the prosecuting attorney had finished his blistering attack against Lillian’s character and motivations, he yielded the floor with a satisfied smirk and sat back down at his table. No, there was no shock value to be found in Lena’s questioning; that was a job best left to the defense. Once the floor had been vacated by the prosecution, the judge acknowledged the opposing side, inviting Lillian’s lawyers to begin their cross-examination. Instead, standing to address the court, the head attorney simply gave a quick shake of her head and uttered five words that sent a hushed sigh of shock and speculation rippling throughout the room.

“No further questions, Your Honor.”

“I’m sorry?” Lena blurted out, clearly startled. The defense lawyer gazed up at her over the top of her glasses with an expression that she couldn’t quite decipher but said nothing. Lena looked up at the judge, who also seemed slightly taken about by the unexpected turn of events, for some kind of direction.

“Is the defense certain they have no questions for the witness?” the judge asked with the same air of disbelief that hung over the rest of the courtroom. 

The defense attorney turned back toward her with a polite smile. “Quite sure, Your Honor,” she confirmed with a curt nod. “Thank you.” And without another word, she sat back down with Lillian smirking next to her in a way that made Lena very nervous. The judge cleared her throat and looked down at the CEO with a small shrug.

“You may step down, Miss Luthor,” she instructed. Still thrown off balance by what had just happened, Lena rose slowly to her feet and walked back to her seat across the chamber. All eyes were on her and she briefly met Kara’s in the press gallery, looking just as confused as the rest of the courtroom.

With the events of the day cut abruptly short, the judge adjourned the courtroom until the following morning, mutters echoing in the wake of the final bang of her gavel. Lena stood and looked toward Kara one last time to give her an imperceptible smile before exiting the courtroom to a fresh wave of whispers. Expertly dodging the reporters that had been waiting to bombard her on the steps outside, she slid gracefully into the back seat of her waiting car and finally exhaled for the first time since she had entered City Hall earlier that morning. She slipped her phone from her pocket to send Kara a quick text message only to find one already waiting for her.

 ** _Kara:_** _Well. That was…unexpected._

**_Lena:_ ** _That’s definitely one way of putting it._

**_Kara:_ ** _Any reason why the defense would pass up the chance to question you? Seems pretty foolish._

**_Lena:_ ** _Or suspicious. I can’t help but thinking there’s more behind this, like my mother is up to something, but I can’t figure out what._

**_Kara:_ ** _Well, I’m sure we’ll find out more tomorrow, no use torturing yourself over it (like I know you’re doing right now)._

**_Lena:_ ** _Ugh you’re right, nothing I can do about it anyway._

**_Kara:_ ** _Of course I’m right! =)_

Lena rolled her eyes good-naturedly, grinning as her car arrived outside of L Corp. She stepped out onto the sidewalk into a waiting mob of more reporters shouting questions in her direction at lightning speed, multiple flashbulbs momentarily blinding her vision. After responding with “No comment” more times that she could count, Lena darted quickly into the lobby and toward the elevator. Once she was safely inside her office, offering a quick hello to Jess and a promise to fill her in later, she sat down behind her desk and pulled her phone back out to answer Kara’s latest text.

**_Kara:_ ** _Are we still on for tomorrow night? I was thinking dinner at my hotel room? Should be discrete, especially if you come around the side of the building and I can let you in._

**_Lena:_ ** _Sounds perfect, it’s a date. I’ll even bring the potstickers!_

**_Kara:_ ** _Lena Luthor, you are my hero! =)_

**_Lena:_ ** _Careful…keep talking like that and I might develop and ego._

**_Kara:_ ** _You? Never! ;)_

**_Lena:_ ** _Ha ha…Anyway, I’d better go for a bit. This company isn’t going to run itself, unfortunately._

**_Kara:_ ** _Okay, we’ll talk later, I should probably start sifting through my notes anyway. Go be a badass CEO! <3_

Lena grinned and set her phone aside to pick up a couple of files sitting at the corner of her desk. She tried to concentrate on the figures as best she could, succeeding for a while, until her mind began to drift back to the trial and the look her mother had given her as she had stepped down from the stand. Something wasn’t right, that much was clear. She tried to do as Kara suggested and leave it be, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that Lillian had something up her sleeve and was just waiting for the right time to use it. Turning her chair around to face the city outside her windows, Lena thought through everything she could remember from the past three years since her brother’s investigation, but couldn’t come up with anything that might be cannon fodder to use against her. She was clean. So what could Lillian possibly be planning?

She was pulled from her thoughts by Jess’ voice crackling over the intercom. “Miss Luthor?” she called. Lena knew immediately that something was not right. The secretary’s voice was stiff and hesitant; not at all similar to how she had sounded when Kara had surprised her the previous day. The barely contained excitement was absent from her tone, replaced by something that almost sounded like fear. Lena felt her stomach drop, having a very good idea of what was about to happen, but hoping against hope that she was wrong. Steeling herself, she squeezed her eyes shut and hit the reply button.

“Jess, is this what I think it is?” she asked through gritted teeth.

There was a moment of silence before Jess responded. “I’m afraid so, Miss Luthor.”

“Then let’s get this over with,” she sighed wearily. “Send her in.”

Moments later, the door swung open and Lillian Luthor entered the room with a swagger ill befitting a woman who was currently on trial for half a dozen federal crimes. Behind her stood a pair of bodyguards that placed themselves sentry at the entrance with their hands folded in front of them. Lillian walked forward into the center of the room and smiled down at her daughter expectantly, as if she had been the one who had organized their meeting.

“Hello, dear,” she greeted dryly, her smile widening to bare her teeth.

“And to what do I owe such a displeasure, mother?” Lena muttered through clenched teeth. Lillian gave an imperceptible roll of her eyes before setting her steely gaze back on her daughter.

“I’m here to give you one last chance,” her mother answered. “One last chance to stand with your family; to be a Luthor.”

Lena pinched the bridge of her nose between her fingers. “Oh, you have got to be kidding me.”

“This is not a game, Lena!” Lillian spat evenly. “Our family’s very reputation is at stake here, so it’s time to end this ridiculous streak of arrogance and rebellion.”

Lena felt like she was having déjà vu; her mother standing in her office and demanding that Lena declare allegiance to her family and its crimes, regardless of any type of moral or legal repercussions. Quite frankly it was like she was watching the same scene; just different players and she was enjoying it even less the second time around.

“Mother, I’m going to make myself clear for what I desperately hope is the last time,” Lena growled, standing up and leaning against her desk. “I want nothing more to do with this viper pit you call a family. And when you join that psychotic animal you call a son in federal prison, I’ll won’t give either of you a single thought ever again.”

“So you would betray your entire family?” Lillian challenged her. “Go against everything that I’ve ever taught you?”

“Better yet, I would do it with a smile,” Lena replied lowly, eyes narrowing.

There was a brief silence as Lillian stalked forward and leaned against the desk to draw in close to her daughter. “And that is your final decision?” she asked lowly, a threatening note in her voice.

“It’s my only decision,” Lena seethed, staring her mother down. A few moments of tension and then it broke as Lillian sighed heavily, as if she were being weighed down beneath a great burden.

“I tried, Lena,” her mother replied, shaking her head and walking back toward the exit. “Tried to give you an opportunity to correct your mistakes and earn back your family’s trust. Now you will know it’s wrath.” Just as she reached the door, she paused and faced her daughter one final time.

“Remember dear, choices have consequences,” Lillian warned, gaze lingering on her daughter in a way that made Lena squirm, before she smoothly turned her back on the CEO and sauntered regally from the room.

Once the door had clicked shut, Lena closed her eyes and released a shaky breath. She walked over to a small table holding a decanter of scotch and a couple of tumblers. Pouring herself a glass, she took a generous gulp before making her way back over to her desk and dropping back into her chair. She gazed down at the files she’d originally been reviewing and scoffed, knowing she’d never be able to concentrate on them now. Instead, Lena stewed in Lillian’s threat for the rest of the day. She lost herself to her thoughts, staring out the window as her mother’s parting words echoed through her head like the thunder of an oncoming storm.

_Remember dear, choices have consequences._

She shuddered at the memory of the dangerous glint in Lillian’s eye before she’d swept from the office with a confidence that made Lena nervous; like a chess master toying with their opponent before they delivered the devastating blow of defeat. When she finally went back to her penthouse, she curled up on the couch and continued to agonize late into the night as she struggled to grasp the meaning of the coded message. Eventually, head pounding and eyes itching, Lena resigned herself to bed, hoping that a good night’s sleep might result in an early morning epiphany. Unbeknownst to her, as she crawled beneath the covers of her bed, morning would come far earlier than she expected; the incessant chiming of her phone as a combination of emails, text messages, and phone calls began to pour into her smartphone and pull her from an uneasy slumber long before dawn had broken. Immediately picking out Kara’s name among the flood of contacts, she opened the single voicemail she’d left over and hour ago.

“Lena,” Kara’s voice sounded flat and numb through the recording. “You need to check the news. Right now.”

A knot of ice formed low in her stomach at the lack of emotion in the words. Sitting up, Lena began to sift through the dozens of emails that had flooded into her inbox, each one causing the breath to catch in her throat until it felt like she couldn’t breathe. Headline after headline flashed in front of her vision as the weight of their words settled heavily upon her shoulders. She read every single one of them.  
  


**_LUTHOR FAMILY BETRAYAL_ **

**_HEAD OF LUTHOR EMPIRE ACCUSED OF FRAUD IN ALLEGED COUP_ **

****_MOTHER VS DAUGHTER IN LUTHOR FAMILY SCANDAL  
  
_

It wasn’t just the headlines that had caught Lena’s attention. She was used to bad press, used to the media slinging the mud in her family around and hoping that something would stick. No, it was the pictures that caused Lena’s heart to stutter and pulled the breath from her lungs. She thought they’d been lucky, that they’d snuck under the radar like the hopeless optimistic than she knew better to be. And Lillian had played it to her advantage, proving that money spoke louder than anything else in this depraved city, especially when it sold newspapers.

Splashed across every article, tabloid, and breaking news story were pictures snapped at a distance of Lena and Kara from the other night; walking hand in hand through the city, seated together on the park bench, kissing goodbye beneath the hotel marquee. Each moment from their first evening was on display for the rest of the city to witness. Her stomach churned at the knowledge that while she and Kara were forging a familiar intimacy with each other, someone had been documenting their every movement, every look and touch between them. Even worse, the subheads beneath the photos glared up at her with dangerous implications as her eyes took in each word with increasing revulsion.  
  


**_Inside the Alleged Conspiracy to Take Down the Luthor Matriarch_ **

**_Lena Luthor’s Affair with Young Reporter – Her Role in the Takeover Plot_ **

****_Luthor Fling with CatCo Reporter and the Connection to Clark Kent  
  
_

Lena wanted to throw up. Thinking back to her meeting with Lillian earlier in the day, her mother’s parting words finally made sense. _Choices have consequences_ , she recalled weakly. She had known; Lillian had known about Kara probably from the moment she had arrived at L Corp. Hell, maybe even in Metropolis. She’d been waiting, biding her time, until Lena slipped up and did something careless enough that she could exploit it for her own gain, and damn it all if Lena didn’t give her the Holy Grail of opportunities. She hated herself more than ever for her foolishness.

Lena had no idea what would happen come sunrise, but she shuddered to think of all the possibilities. Blinking back tears of frustration, she clumsily swiped through her phone to Kara’s number and hit the call button. Straight to voicemail. She tried again. And again and again, but to no avail. It suddenly occurred to her that the repercussions of the breaking news stories would have implications that reached beyond just the boundaries of Metropolis. Word would have spread across all those miles between them like wildfire until it reached Kara’s boss back in National City; that one of his reporters had been intimately involved with the very subject of the trial she had been sent across the country to cover. The fallout would be catastrophic, and Lena knew that it was all her fault. She’d selfishly pulled Kara into her world without caution and now she was responsible for whatever fate befell her. She couldn’t take it anymore; she dropped her head into her hands and began to cry.

“Oh Kara,” Lena whispered sadly. “I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry.”


	12. Not With A Whimper

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! Okay, first of all, I'm super grateful for all the lovely comments on the last chapter and that you guys are still really enthusiastic about this story. It means a lot to me that you were so understanding of the hiatus I took from it.
> 
> Second, I've been looking through my notes, and from what I can tell I've only got about two chapters left in this story after this one, possibly three depending on how long the last one could possibly get. I can't believe it's coming to a close soon, but I've still got quite a bit more story to tell, so no need to focus on that just yet.
> 
> No beta, so all mistakes are mine.  
> Please come visit me on tumblr! I'm tardis-custard-cream and I love chatting with you all and meeting new friends, so please don't be shy.

“Motion for retrial granted.”  
The words echoed through Lena’s head like an ominous drum beat.

The courtroom had erupted in gasps and frantic whispers at the judge’s ruling, the sound of pens and pencils scraping wildly across paper filling the space as the various reporters raced to keep up with the shocking development. Lena’s gaze immediately found the press section of the gallery, searching for the familiar blue eyes that she knew weren’t there. Had they been, she had no doubt that Kara would have been seconds away from catapulting over people and chairs to reach her, but the spot she’d occupied just a few days previous sat conspicuously empty. With a light shake of her head to bring herself back to reality, Lena turned back toward the judge, who had begun to strike her gavel against the rising tide of noise.

“Order!” The room fell back into a hushed silence, but the tension remained. “In light of the new evidence presented that obstructs the bias of this case, each party will be granted an additional two weeks to reassess their positions. At such time, a new jury will be selected and a new trial of the City of Metropolis vs. Lillian Luthor will begin. For the time being, this courtroom is dismissed.” 

The judge swung her gavel a final time, the delicate mallet falling like an executioner’s axe against the wooden block. Once she stood and left to return to her chambers, the murmurs and speculation broke out around the room again, many eyes turning to take in Lena’s reaction. Rather than give them the show of emotion they were hoping to paint across their front pages in the morning, Lena quickly gathered her belongings and strode purposefully from the room and out the front doors of City Hall. Wading her way through the reporters with nothing more than a “no comment,” she slid into the back of her waiting car and finally exhaled, closing her weary eyes for the duration of the trip back to L Corp.

Back in her office, mercifully away from prying eyes, Lena was finally able to collapse beneath the weight of the last few days; her shoulders sagged heavily as she leaned forward on her desk to cradle her head in her hands. She missed Kara, missed talking to her, but every time she checked her phone it remained frustratingly empty. She closed her eyes, her mind replaying their last conversation in her head for what must have been the thousandth time.

 

* * *

 

_Kara had not even been given a chance to say goodbye in person. Within half an hour of the various tabloid stories hitting the air, of the pictures of her and Lena splashed across their pages, Snapper had called her in what had been a rage for the ages._

_“I could have almost overlooked the fact that you didn’t tell me you had an in with her out of some stupid ethical code or something,” Snapper had yelled into the phone as Kara held her own at arm’s length. “But then you took advantage of company resources and abused your position so that you could jet off to Metropolis and spend the next few weeks with your girlfriend! All under the guise that you wanted more responsibility and that it was, and I quote, ‘our journalistic duty’ to cover the case!”_

_Kara had not responded, not daring to say a word to defend herself for fear that her tongue might get away from her. Not to mention that he wasn’t technically wrong. Instead, she waited silently as she heard Snapper catch his breath._

_“I’ve already arranged a flight back to National City,” he growled. “It leaves in an hour and half and then I want your ass in my office the second after your plane touches down.”_

_Kara’s eyes widened at that and her impulses got the better of her. “But--!” she began to protest._

_“No ‘buts,’ ponytail,” Snapper interrupted her coldly. “I don’t want to hear another damn word from you. Now, get on that fucking plane or there will be even more hell to pay than you can possibly expect.”_

_And with that, he’d hung up._

_Kara sat on her hotel bed dazed for a few minutes before her logic kicked in and she realized that Snapper had given her very little time to pack her belongings and get to the airport and through security before her plane took off. She began to throw things into her suitcase with wild abandon, not bothering to organize anything for lack of time and care. Tears started to blur her vision as she took deep, steadying breaths and forced them back down. Within ten minutes she was packed, checked out of her hotel, and flagging down a taxi to the airport. Sitting in the back of the musty cab, the lingering scents of past passengers filling the space, Kara took the limited opportunity to try and reach Lena._

_The line only rang once._

_“Kara,” Lena breathed in relief. Kara wondered if she’d been waiting with the phone in her hand, hoping she’d call her at any minute._

_“Hey, you,” she replied, smiling despite herself._

_“Where are you?” Lena asked. “I’m sorry I haven’t called yet. It feels like I’m being pulled in a million directions and I haven’t stopped since I woke up. Are you doing okay?”_

_Kara paused, looking out the window as Metropolis airport grew larger and larger before her. “Yes and no.”_

_“What do you mean? Kara, what is it, what’s going on?”_

_“It’s Snapper,” Kara muttered just as the cab pulled up to the curb beside one of the terminal entrances. “He’s called me back to National City.”_

_“What?” Lena gasped. “When?”_

_“In about an hour. I just arrived at the airport.”_

_“Do you have to?” Lena pleaded. “Can’t you just say you missed the flight or something? Please, Kara, you can’t leave yet, not now.”_

_“I’m so sorry, I have to,” Kara replied sadly, paying the cabbie and walking into the building to sit down on the nearest bench. “He didn’t give me any other choice. If I don’t go back, he’ll definitely fire me.” She paused for a moment, remember her earlier conversation with her boss. “He probably will anyway, but regardless, I have to go back. Lena, I’m so sorry.”_

_“No, no, it’s okay,” Lena sighed wearily. “I understand, this whole mess doesn’t just affect me; you’re in this, too, and I am so, so sorry. I never meant for any of this to happen.”_

_“Hey, hey, Lena, it’s okay,” Kara reassured her. “We’re okay, I promise, we’re going to get through this somehow, alright?” She waited for Lena’s agreement before she reluctantly continued. “I have to go, or I’m never going to make it through security in time, but I will call you back when I can.”_

_“How long do you think that might be?” Lena asked quietly, trying not to sound too petulant._

_“It’s going to be a mess for a little while,” Kara admitted. “Snapper’s on the warpath and it’s going to be ugly, but I promise that I’ll call you as soon as I have a moment to breathe.”_

_“Promise?” Lena asked, sounding far too small and unsure and so unlike herself.  
_

_“Cross my heart.”_

 

* * *

 

That had been nearly twenty-four hours ago and yet Lena still had not heard from Kara, her inquiring texts and voicemails going unanswered. Lifting her head back up, she gave herself a slight shake and reached reluctantly for her laptop, determined to sort through the pile of emails that had been arriving since early that morning from stockholders, business partners, and board members. It was a slow process, and nearly two hours into her work, Lena found herself in need of something much stronger than the coffee that Jess had sympathetically set on her desk without a word. Abandoning her task, she stood and made her way over to the decanter of scotch sitting on one of the bookshelves and poured herself a generous glass, staring out over the city as she absentmindedly sipped at the drink. Fifteen minutes later, she was on her second glass as she continued to sort through the thoughts in her head, a plan beginning to form, when her computer pinged on the desk; it was her Skype alert. Someone was calling her.

Abandoning her scotch on the bookshelf, some of it splashing over the rim of the glass in her haste to set it down, Lena rushed back to her laptop to see Kara’s picture blinking up at her from the screen. Chest flooding with relief, she immediately hit the accept button and waited until Kara’s weary but smiling face appeared in front of her. Despite how clearly exhausted she was, Lena thought she was just as beautiful as ever.

“Kara,” she smiled despite the state of everything around them.

“Hey,” Kara replied, her voice slightly hoarse. “I’m sorry I didn’t call sooner, it’s been a very, very long day.

“No, no, Kara it’s okay,” Lena reassured her. “I’m sure after your meeting with Snapper there was a lot of work to get done.”

“Uh, yeah. About that.”

The tone of her voice made Lena’s heart drop. After their last conversation, she’d worried about what would happen with Kara’s job, but she’d still kept her hopes up that she might just receive some sort of suspension or menial, intern work for the foreseeable future. But based on the way Kara was looking at her now, shoulders hunched and a look of dejection in her eyes, Lena felt her hopes fade.

“He fired you, didn’t he?”

“Pretty much on the spot,” Kara confirmed. “But he kept me around long enough to yell about my immaturity and lack of responsibility for the entire office to hear.”

“Oh Kara, I’m so sorry,” Lena sighed. “I never meant for this all to happen, or for you to get caught in the crossfire of my family’s war.”

“It’s okay, I’ll figure something out,” Kara shrugged. She was trying her best to but on a brave face, but Lena could tell that something was off. “I can always stay with Alex if it takes a while to find a new job.”

Lena nodded, feeling a flood of gratitude for Kara’s sister. She made a mental note to herself that she needed to get to know her better. They’d only had one brief conversation so far when Lena had called while Kara changing and Alex had answered the phone. She knew she should make more of an effort to try and connect with the other most important woman in Kara’s life.

“Anyway,” Kara interrupted her train of thought. “How are you doing? I saw that your mother’s defense was granted a motion for retrial. I’m sure you’ve been buried in emails and phone calls all day.

“Yeah, it’s been a day,” Lena rolled her eyes. “The board wants to have an emergency meeting in the morning to discuss the company’s next move.”

Kara looked concerned. “You don’t think they’ll vote you out do you?”

“No, they won’t want to add to the crisis. They’ll probably just ask me to avoid the press until this is all over.”

“Well that’s good at least.”

An awkward silence fell between them, Lena sorting through her earlier thoughts as she tried to figure out the best way to broach the topic. Refocusing her eyes, she found Kara watching her with a look of expectancy laced with something else she couldn’t quite place. It was now or never, she decided.

“Kara, there’s actually something I want to talk to you about,” Lena said, sitting up a bit straighter in her chair. However, she paused when she noticed Kara’s face fall slightly. “Hey, you okay?”

“Yeah,” Kara nodded slowly. She exhaled heavily and shook her head. “It’s just—I’ve kind of been preparing myself for this all day."

Lena blinked, her eyebrows knitting together in confusing. “You have?” Kara nodded again. “Wait, what do you think I want to talk about?”

“This is the part where you break up with me for some noble reason, isn’t it?” Kara smiled ruefully, looking down toward the ground. This is why she’d put off talking to Lena for so long, because she’d seen this in every dramatic movie and television show she’d ever watched; the self-sacrificial character who would rather suffer alone than let the people they cared about be hurt. It was Lena to the core, there was no denying it. So, she simply closed her eyes and waited for the inevitable.

Lena, meanwhile, stared at her blankly for a few moments before her face broke into an amused smirk, a scoff of disbelief slipping past her lips. “Of course not,” she shook her head. “Why in the world would I do that?”

Kara’s head snapped back up to look at her computer screen, eyes wide with shock. “Because of your mother,” she explained as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “Because she could use me against you or ruin my life or something.”

“Kara, my mother orchestrated a scandal that has invaded every corner of your privacy and lost you your job. Literally what else could she do short of taking you hostage?”

“That—is a fair point,” Kara admitted thoughtfully causing Lena to chuckle. 

“Kara, listen to me.” Her eyes glistened with earnest sincerity. “My mother has worked tirelessly to try and control me my entire life. And when that hasn’t worked, she’s tried to ruin it.” She paused briefly, as if trying to contain her emotions. “She has slowly tried to take everything from me; my childhood, my brother, and now my family’s company. But I will be damned if I let her rip you away from me, too. You are the one good thing I have left and I know that I would be lost without you.” Lena took a shaky breath and swiped at a stray tear threatening to spill over. “So, no, I’m not going to do the stupid, honorable thing in order to protect you, because I know that you don’t need my protection; you’re much stronger than that. Instead, we are going to figure this out and take Lillian down together, okay?”

“So—so you’re not breaking up with me?” Kara asked, still feeling a little dumbfounded. Lena giggled and shook her head.

“No. No, you adorable woman, I am not breaking up with you.”

Kara grinned, some of her usual demeanor returning. “Okay. Okay, good.”

“Yes, now back to the matter at hand,” Lena steered the conversation back toward her earlier point now that Kara had been placated. “What do you think?”

“About working against your mother?” Lena nodded. “I’m not sure, how would we even do that?”

“We make a perfect team,” Lena insisted. “You’re a brilliant journalist with dozens of insider sources and I have access to all the L Corp files. If we can find any kind of suspicious activity or discrepancies in my mother or Lex’s spending or movements, we might be able to disprove their allegations; possibly even incriminate them.”

Kara still looked apprehensive, and did not immediately respond to the suggestion. Lena tried not to take it personally, knowing that the other woman had been through a lot in the last few days that she had absolutely not deserved nor signed up for. She couldn’t blame her girlfriend for being a little hesitant at putting herself back out there, and against the woman who had turned her world into a living hell no less.

“Tell you what,” Lena continued before Kara could respond. “Think about it. Take a hot bath, have some crappy takeout and let it just sit for a little while. I don’t want to force you into a decision.”

Kara smiled, clearly relieved. “Thank you. I was actually going to go spend a sister night with Alex. We haven’t had one in a while and it might help take my mind off of everything.”

“That’s a great idea, just what you need after the last few days. And you can always call me later once you’ve had some time to think it all over.”

“You sure?” Kara asked.

“Absolutely, you deserve a break from all of this for a bit,” Lena insisted.

“Okay, well I hope you don’t mind then, but I’m gonna go. I promised I be over at her place fifteen minutes ago.”

“Of course I don’t mind.” 

“Thanks, Lee. I’ll call you later, I promise.”

“No rush.” Kara smiled and made to end the call, but a sudden burst of courage came over Lena. “Kara—” she started. The blonde looked back up at the screen expectantly as the next words balanced on the tip of her tongue. _No,_ Lena thought. _Not like this._ “Never mind,” she shook her head. “It can wait until later. Go have fun with your sister.”

With a final goodbye and a smile, Kara signed off. She sat at her kitchen island a for a few more minutes, staring at the blank screen as she considered Lena’s idea of working together. She was startled from her thoughts when her phone buzzed against the counter. Picking it up, she found a text from Alex.

**_Alex:_ ** _Hey, u still coming over?_

**_Kara:_ ** _Yeah, I was just talking to Lena. I’m headed out in a few._

**_Alex:_ ** _Ok great, I ordered Thai. Fresh potstickers waiting 4 u._

**_Kara:_ ** _Best sister ever!  
_

**_Alex:_ ** _Duh ;)_

Slipping her phone into her back pocket with a grin, Kara grabbed her keys and headed out the door. It was a short walk to her sister’s apartment and she was knocking on her door just twenty minutes later, which swung open readily before Alex pulled her into a tight hug.

“Hey sis. Holding up alright?”

“Yeah, I’m okay,” Kara nodded. “Just looking forward to potstickers and Netflix with my favorite sister.”

“I’m your only sister, but I still appreciate the sentiment.”

Kara laughed and pulled Alex back in for another hug. It took them a few minutes to get their food around and get situated on the couch, wine glasses filled to the brim, but eventually they had settled against each other and agreed to rewatch The Crown to refresh their memory for the new season. The problem was that Kara couldn’t concentrate. Her earlier conversation with Lena kept replaying through her head as she considered the pros and cons of going toe to toe with Lillian Luthor. If everything Lena had told her about Lillian’s influence was true, her ability to pull in favors and destroy the lives of her son’s enemies with a simple phone call, it made her all the more nervous at the thought of putting herself in the line of fire. She didn’t want to let Lena down, but it still made her hesitate. 

They were halfway through their second episode of The Crown when Alex reached for the remote and paused the television, startling Kara out of her thoughts.

“Alright, what’s wrong?” she asked bluntly, turning on the couch to face her sister.

Kara narrowed her eyes in confusion. “What do you mean?”

Alex rolled her eyes. “Kara you love this show and you’ve barely looked up at the screen once in the last forty-five minutes. What’s going on?”

Kara stayed silent for a while longer, chewing on her lip before she finally sighed and relented to her sister’s pointed stare. “Earlier, when Lena called—she had an idea that she asked me to think about, and I’m not sure what I want to do.”

“What was the idea? She didn’t suggest that you two break up, did she? Because I will get on a plane right now and--”

“No, she didn’t want to break up,” Kara interrupted her ranting. “I thought she might, but she told me I was being ridiculous.” She looked up to see her sister smirking with approval. “Anyway, she actually suggested that we could work together to try and bring down Lillian and her smear campaign.”

“That’s actually pretty genius,” Alex replied after a few seconds, looking impressed.

“Wait what?” Kara looked shocked at her response. “What do you mean?” 

“I mean it’s a really good idea,” Alex insisted. “Lena’s got all the L Corp files at her disposal and you can utilize some of your insider sources to gain access to witnesses or any other information that might be useful against Lex and his mother.”

“That’s—almost exactly what Lena said. But why is it genius?”

“Think about it; nobody would be expecting the two of you to fight back,” Alex explained. “They probably just think that Lena is going to release some kind of statement to the press and then let the lawyers handle it. That leaves the two of you to work behind the scenes uninterrupted.”

“Maybe,” Kara conceded halfheartedly. “But I still don’t know if it’s a good idea.”

“Why not?”

“Because it’s Lillian Luthor!” Kara exclaimed suddenly, causing Alex to jump slightly. “She’s been the matriarch of a global empire for the past thirty years and has every resource imaginable at her fingertips.” She sighed heavily and twisted her hands in her lap. “I’m just a nobody, unemployed reporter with minimal experience. What difference could I possibly make?”

Alex watched her sister fidget, still refusing to meet her eyes. After a few minutes of silence, she reached out to stall Kara’s movements, slipping her hands into her sister’s and lacing their fingers together. With a light squeeze, she finally coaxed Kara to look up at her, noticing that she had tears shining in her eyes.

“Kara, remember when you wrote that exposé on Cadmus,” she asked patiently.

Kara nodded.

“And remember how Snapper refused to publish it, so you posted it on your own blog instead?”

Another nod.

“And even though he was pissed, and briefly fired you, it was instrumental in the federal investigation and you proved yourself to be a great investigative journalist?”

A third nod.

“Do you really not see where I’m going with this?”

Kara sighed. “I get it, Alex, but this is different. This is personal.”

“And that’s all the more reason!” her sister insisted, throwing her hands up into the air and startling the blonde. Taking a breath to calm herself, Alex smiled softly and reached forward to grab Kara gently by the shoulders.

“It is personal,” she confirmed. “It is, and I have never seen you as happy as you are with Lena. You care about her so much; maybe even love her, I don’t know, that’s not my business.” Kara’s eyes widened slightly at that. “The point is,” Alex continued, waving her hand dismissively. “She cares about you, too. I wasn’t too sure about her in the beginning, but it’s clear that she is crazy about you. And she is so, so good for you; keeps that head of yours from getting lost in the clouds all the time.” Kara giggled bashfully. “Lillian doesn’t get to take that away from you. Lena’s right; the two of you need to fight back, so put those doubts out of your head and get to doing what you do best, yeah?”

Kara grinned and threw herself into her sister’s arms. “You’re right, Alex, thank you.”

“Of course I’m right,” Alex teased as they pulled away. “Now go call your girlfriend, you’re on a deadline.”

Kara giggled and pulled out her phone as she stood from the couch and wandered toward the kitchen, dialing Lena’s number.

“Hey,” the familiar voice greeted her warmly.

“Hey you.”

“I wasn’t expecting you to call me back so early.”

“Yeah, well I talked everything out with Alex. I mean, she kind of made me talk about it, but it really helped.”

So does that mean that you’ve made a decision?” Lena asked tentatively.

“I have,” Kara replied and took a deep breath. “Lillian doesn’t get to win, not this time. Where do we start?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and reviews are lovely and keep me motivated, so please don't hesitate to leave one. I really love hearing from you all!

**Author's Note:**

> I'm tardis-custard-cream on tumblr, feel free to come say hello!


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